107 min | PG-13 | November 7, 2025 | 20th Century Studios
Dan Trachtenberg makes a Predator film from the Predator’s perspective. Elle Fanning plays a synthetic ally to an exiled Yautja. This is the boldest swing the franchise has taken.
The Predator franchise has been about humans surviving alien hunters for thirty-seven years. Predator: Badlands flips that dynamic. Dek is a young Yautja exiled from his clan. He crash-lands on a hostile planet and must prove himself worthy through his first hunt. He encounters Thia, a Weyland-Yutani synthetic, and forms an unlikely alliance. The film follows the Predator as protagonist and asks you to root for the creature you have been trained to fear. That is a radical choice. Trachtenberg commits to it completely.
Elle Fanning plays Thia with mechanical precision that slowly reveals something approaching humanity. She is a synthetic performing empathy and discovering genuine connection. The relationship between Thia and Dek becomes the emotional core. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi performs Dek through motion capture and practical effects. The character communicates through clicks and body language. The film trusts you to understand without translation or explanation.
Trachtenberg directed Prey and proved he understands what makes this franchise work. Practical effects. Real locations. Survival horror stripped to essentials. Badlands maintains that aesthetic while finding new territory. The planet Genna is rendered with harsh beauty. The creatures Dek must hunt are designed with creativity and menace. The action sequences are brutal and clearly staged. The film earns its PG-13 rating through intensity rather than gore.
This is what franchise filmmaking should be. Take a risk. Trust your audience. Deliver something they have not seen before. The film works as both a Predator movie and a meditation on exile, honor, and what it means to prove yourself worthy.