--- title: "Predator: Badlands" year: 2025 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/predator-badlands" fi1m_id: "predator-badlands" imdb_id: "tt31227572" tmdb_id: 1242898 wikidata_id: "Q126396314" fi1m_score: 70 critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:48.230775+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Predator: Badlands (2025) Directed by Dan Trachtenberg · 1h 47m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure ## Identity Predator: Badlands - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/predator-badlands - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** predator-badlands - **IMDb ID:** tt31227572 - **TMDB ID:** 1242898 - **Wikidata ID:** Q126396314 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31227572/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1242898, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126396314 **Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 75 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* The galaxy’s finest hunter, reimagined as a teenager who needs a hug, and against our better judgement we wanted to give him one > Dan Trachtenberg turns the series’ monster into its underdog and pairs him with Elle Fanning’s talkative synthetic, and the odd couple carry it. It is likeable, well built and gentler than a Predator film has any business being. ## Synopsis Dek is a Predator, a Yautja, and the runt of his clan. Rejected by his own kind and by his father, he sets out to prove himself on a planet where every plant, animal and patch of ground is trying to kill him. There he meets Thia, a damaged synthetic played by Elle Fanning, who talks a great deal and knows the terrain better than he does. The two of them, along with a small creature called Bud, set out on a hunt that neither could finish alone. Dan Trachtenberg directs from a script by Patrick Aison, with Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek. It runs 107 minutes and carries a 12A certificate. ## Review Dan Trachtenberg’s previous Predator film, *Prey*, stripped the series back to one hunter, one huntress and a great deal of grass. *Predator: Badlands* goes the other way. Its hero is a Predator, Dek, the runt of his clan, who leaves home for a planet where everything he meets is trying to kill him and finds instead a companion in Thia, a damaged synthetic played by Elle Fanning who has a lot to say. It is a buddy film in monster make-up, and the pairing is strong enough to carry 107 minutes. It is good, it is gentler than any Predator film before it, and the gentleness is where the arguments will start. Jeff Cutter shoots much of the planet in daylight, which for a series built on shapes you cannot quite see is a bold decision, and mostly a good one. Ra Vincent’s production design gives the place a life of its own: plants that move when you are not looking, ground that is not quite ground, animals at every scale from the pocket-sized to the geological. Ngila Dickson dresses the Yautja in bone, hide and metal that looks as though it has been worn for years rather than fitted last week. The score, from Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch, is electronic and low and pushes the set pieces along without telling you how to feel about them. Fanning is the film. Thia talks the way people talk when they are frightened of silence, and Fanning plays her as cheerful, broken and a little too pleased with her own jokes, which is the right pitch for a character whose job is to make a wordless killer bearable. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek under the prosthetics and gives him a way of moving, hunched, wary, always checking for the exit, that says more than any of the dialogue. The scenes where the two of them are simply travelling are the best in the film. We did not expect to feel much for a Predator, and for the first half we resisted. Then there is a stretch, which we will not describe, where Dek fails at something he has been raised to believe is the whole point of him, and Thia watches him fail, and we found we minded. It was the smallness that did it. The series has spent nearly forty years telling us this creature is the most dangerous thing in any room, and Trachtenberg puts him in a room where he plainly is not. The trouble is what the film does with that. Patrick Aison’s script, from a story by Aison and Trachtenberg, is a hero’s journey with the stages laid out in order, and each one announces the next. Dek’s father (Schuster-Koloamatangi again, with Reuben De Jong in the suit) is the kind of villain who exists to be disagreed with. The 12A is honoured in spirit as well as letter: the film is bloody, in a green and glowing sort of way, and never nasty, and there are viewers for whom nasty was the point. We understand them. The creature in [*Predator*](https://film.one/film/predator) (1987) was frightening because it wanted nothing you could bargain with. Dek wants approval, and approval is bargainable. David Trachtenberg and Stefan Grube cut the action clearly, so you always know who is hitting whom, which is rarer than it should be. Grube also provides the voice of Kwei, which is the kind of economy this production seems to enjoy. The lore is thicker than it needs to be. A computer called MU/TH/UR, voiced by Alison Wright, will mean something to anyone who has seen [*Alien*](https://film.one/film/alien), and Matt and Ross Duffer turn up as the voice of another ship’s computer. The film keeps opening doors into other rooms when we would rather it stayed in this one. Most critics have liked it about as much as we have, and the disagreement among the rest is easy to read: the ones who wanted a monster are cross and the ones who wanted a film are not. Set against Trachtenberg’s own *Prey* it is bigger, busier and less pure, and the purity was what made *Prey* stick. This one is more fun and less frightening, and it knows which of those it has chosen. See it for Fanning, and for a planet that is more interesting than most of the people who have walked across one in this series. Take a child who is old enough for the certificate. They will like it more than you do, and they may be right. *Fi1m score 70, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, and the spread is wider than the average suggests. The praise clusters around two things: Dan Trachtenberg’s decision to make a young Yautja the protagonist on a hostile planet, and Elle Fanning’s synthetic Thia, whose odd-couple partnership with the creature is named by nearly every review as the film’s source of humour and heart. The action gets steady approval for pace and gore, and several reviews single out the creature designs. The reservations gather on what the inversion costs. The AV Club finds the result safe and frictionless, sanded of the series’ nastiness; The Guardian argues that a sympathetic, vulnerable Predator stops being a Predator at all; The Times finds it flat whenever Fanning is off screen; Deadline, the lone outright dismissal, calls it lightweight and short on menace. Even the doubters credit the leads’ chemistry. Screen Daily, otherwise warm, thinks the themes are occasionally simplistic. ## Straight answers **Is Predator: Badlands worth watching?** *Predator: Badlands* is worth watching if you want a good-natured science fiction adventure rather than a monster film, and we scored it 70. Elle Fanning's talkative synthetic and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi's hunched, wary Dek carry it, and the planet is more interesting than most of the humans this series has produced. Anyone who came for fear should lower their expectations. **How long is Predator: Badlands, and what is it rated?** *Predator: Badlands* runs 1h 47m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is an action and science fiction film. **Where can I watch Predator: Badlands in the US?** *Predator: Badlands* is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Predator: Badlands, and is it suitable for children?** *Predator: Badlands* is a 12A, and it earns the certificate honestly: it is bloody in a green and glowing way, but never nasty, and the action is cut clearly enough that nothing is confusing or lingering. Children old enough for the certificate should be fine, and we suspect they will enjoy it more than the adults with them. The squeamish have little to worry about. **How does Predator: Badlands compare to Prey?** *Predator: Badlands* is bigger, busier and gentler than [*Prey*](https://film.one/film/prey), which stripped the series back to one hunter, one alien and open grass. *Prey* is the purer and tighter film, and the more frightening; *Badlands* is the more fun, built on an odd-couple pairing rather than a hunt. Choose *Prey* for tension, *Badlands* for warmth and a well-imagined planet. **Do you need to have seen the other Predator films before Predator: Badlands?** *Predator: Badlands* stands alone and is a fair place for a newcomer to start, since its hero is a Predator rejected by his own clan and the story explains what it needs to. Knowing *Predator* (1987) or *Alien* adds a few nods, including a ship's computer, but nothing depends on them. If anything the film carries more lore than it needs. **What should I watch after Predator: Badlands?** After *Predator: Badlands*, try [*Prey*](https://film.one/film/prey) (2022, Fi1m 76): Trachtenberg’s leaner Predator film: one hunter, one huntress, and nothing wasted. Then [*Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind*](https://film.one/film/warriors-of-the-wind) (1984, Fi1m 85): A poisoned world full of enormous creatures, and a hero who refuses to kill them; and [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) (1999, Fi1m 88): A weapon that would rather be something else, learning gentleness from an unlikely friend. **What order should I watch the Predator films in?** Release order is the safe choice for Predator, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/predator) lists them in. *Predator: Badlands* is the most recent of the 6 Predator titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*Prey*](https://film.one/film/prey). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/predator.md) ### Reviews we read (18) - **Slant Magazine** (3.5/4): Trachtenberg delivers the most ambitious Predator film yet, with a young Yautja as fragile prey who forms an unlikely bond on a death planet. The inventive, heart-pounding action is secondary to the film's exploration of empathy and what it means to face death. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/predator-badlands-review-elle-fanning-dan-trachtenberg/) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (B+): Trachtenberg challenges the franchise's core premise by centering a young Yautja runt as the protagonist and pairing him with a synthetic ally. Elle Fanning delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the film's emotional core in this inventive, heartfelt entry. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/predator-badlands-movie-review-1235158691/) - **The Telegraph** (4/5): The critic calls it absurd fun and the craziest film in the franchise, praising its energy, gruesome thrills, and Elle Fanning’s sparky performance as the unlikely ally to the alien hunter. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/11/06/this-absurdly-fun-predator-film-is-the-craziest/) - **Time Out**, Olly Richards (4/5): The critic praises Trachtenberg's inventive approach of turning the Predator into the hero in a bloody buddy-movie setup with Elle Fanning as a synthetic ally. It highlights the propulsive, gory action sequences and how the film enriches the franchise without losing its fearsome edge. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/predator-badlands-review-2025) - **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): Badlands upends the formula by setting the story on the Predators' homeworld and making a young Yautja the central character who bonds with a synthetic. Trachtenberg embraces the universe with clever action and a goofy, charming heart focused on toxic masculinity themes. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/predator-badlands-review-there-are-no-bad-predator-movies.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Joshua Rothkopf (75/100, inferred): The film has a misshapen gait as a Predator movie but is enlivened by Elle Fanning’s fun, semi-stoned robot character Thia, who supplies humor, soul and a compelling new dynamic as she teams with the young Predator Dek. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-11-12/predator-badlands-review-elle-fanning-dan-trachtenberg-yautja) - **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): The review describes the film as a consistently entertaining action-thriller that reconceives the Predator as an underdog hero on a quest, boosted by impressive effects, epic scope, and a taut electronic score. It notes the propulsive set pieces and emotional undercurrent but finds the themes occasionally simplistic. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/predator-badlands-review-the-iconic-sci-fi-villain-turns-hero-in-propulsive-instalment-of-long-running-franchise/5210585.article) - **The AV Club** (C): The film flips the script by making the Predator the hero in a lore-heavy expansion that feels safe and frictionless. It sands down the franchise's edgy, nasty edges in favor of Star Wars-like sweetness and toyetic elements. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/review-predator-badlands-dan-trachtenberg-elle-fanning-dimitrius-schuster-koloamatangi) - **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen: The critic praises the film's bold shift to making the Predator the protagonist on an alien world, calling it big popcorn fun with heart and the most enjoyable entry since the original. They single out the winning odd-couple dynamic between the surly Yautja and Elle Fanning's synthetic for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/predator-badlands/) - **The Guardian**: The critic finds the film disappointing because it humanises the Predator and makes the creature sympathetic and vulnerable, at which point it ceases to be the Predator. Elle Fanning’s charm keeps it from flatlining completely. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/04/predator-badlands-review-elle-fanning) - **The Times**: The critic dislikes the schmaltzy attempt to reimagine the Predator as a sympathetic hero with a tragic backstory and finds the film depressingly flat whenever it focuses on the creature rather than the Elle Fanning subplot. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/predator-badlands-review-elle-fanning-0r75mcvgf) - **Total Film**, Jordan Farley: The review notes that die-hard fans may be disappointed by the changes but finds it a big swing that works as a fun, propulsive action-adventure. The critic highlights the fresh take and the odd-couple dynamic between the Yautja and Elle Fanning's synth as adding laughs and heart. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-movies/predator-badlands-review/) - **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The critic hails it as one of the best movies of the year, praising its empathetic take on the franchise, character depth, and thrilling action. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/predator-badlands-review-dan-trachtenberg-elle-fanning/) - **/Film**, Jeremy Mathai (8/10): The critic calls it the most radical Predator film since the original, praising Trachtenberg and Aison for flipping the franchise's perspective to center on a young Yautja protagonist and his unlikely robot companion while exploring their culture and delivering humor and heart. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2016872/predator-badlands-movie-review/) - **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (7/10): Trachtenberg continues to expand the Predator universe in inventive ways, making the franchise better than ever by giving emotional depth to a young Yautja protagonist. The film benefits from a charming two-hander dynamic between the lead Predator and Elle Fanning's synthetic character. [Read](https://collider.com/predator-badlands-review-dan-trachtenberg-elle-fanning/) - **Deadline**, Damon Wise (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film lightweight and lacking menace, turning the Predator into a silly buddy movie with FX set pieces, though praising the leads' chemistry. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/11/predator-badlands-review-elle-fanning-dimitrius-schuster-koloamatangi-1236606321/) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4 out of 5): The critic praises the chemistry between the diminutive Predator Dek and the chatty, broken synth Thia (Elle Fanning), hailing the film as an entertaining, pulpy adventure with strong performances, inventive creature designs, and solid set pieces under Trachtenberg's direction. They single out the unlikely two-hander dynamic and the fresh hero's journey for the Yautja as a welcome, if conventional, twist on the franchise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/predator-badlands-review-sci-fi-movie/) - **Paste**, Jesse Hassenger (7.0): The film shifts focus to a Predator as protagonist on a deadly alien planet, sidestepping human victims in favor of sci-fi adventure and found-family themes. It excels in creature designs, pacing, and playful homages while softening the series' usual edge. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dan-trachtenberg/predator-badlands-elle-fanning-dan-trachtenberg-sequel) ## Details - **Director:** Dan Trachtenberg - **Director:** Dan Trachtenberg - **Screenplay:** Patrick Aison - **Story:** Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg - **Cinematography:** Jeff Cutter - **Editor:** Stefan Grube, David Trachtenberg - **Music:** Sarah Schachner, Benjamin Wallfisch - **Production design:** Ra Vincent - **Costume design:** Ngila Dickson - **Producer:** John Davis, Brent O'Connor, Marc Toberoff - **Cast:** Elle Fanning as Thia / Tessa; Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek / Father; Ravi Narayan as Bud; Michael Homick as Kwei (Suit); Stefan Grube as Kwei (voice); Reuben De Jong as Father (Suit); Cameron Brown as Drone Synth; Alison Wright as MU/TH/UR (voice) - **Runtime:** 1h 47m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 7 November 2025 - **Genres:** Action, Science Fiction, Adventure - **Part of:** [Predator](https://film.one/collections/predator.md) · 6 of 6 - **Budget:** $105 million - **Box office:** $184 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkBqjfg8TGM ## Where to watch in the US - Hulu: streaming, uhd - Disney+: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $4.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $4.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Enemy Mine* (1985): Human and alien stranded together, forced to talk; the template this film is working from. - *Prey* (2022), Fi1m 76: Trachtenberg’s leaner Predator film: one hunter, one huntress, and nothing wasted. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/prey.md) - *Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind* (1984), Fi1m 85: A poisoned world full of enormous creatures, and a hero who refuses to kill them. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/warriors-of-the-wind.md) - *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: A weapon that would rather be something else, learning gentleness from an unlikely friend. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md) - *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), Fi1m 82: Two misfits in hostile country, bickering their way towards a family; funnier than it sounds. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/predator-badlands