*This review contains minor spoilers for Predator: Badlands.

Predator: Bandlands, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, hit theaters On November 7, 2025, The film follows Dek, the weakest Yautja in his clan, who must prove himself worthy of the cloak —the device that allows Predators to go invisible. Since he is seen as the weakest, Dek decides to go hunt the Kalisk, the strongest, on the planet Genna. If he does not succeed, he will be executed. During his journey, Dek encounters Thia, a synthetic created by the Weyland-Yutani, and Bud, the Kalisk’s child. Throughout his journey, he realizes the real enemy is the Weyland-Yutani and learns that working with others is more powerful than being alone.  

After watching, this is one of the best Predator films. I find it insane that we have gotten two Predator movies in a single year, with Predator: Killer of Killers having been released on June 6. While I do not think the film surpasses Killer of Killers (2025), Prey (2022), and Predator (1987), the film is still really well done. 

Making the Predator the focus of the film seems to be a difficult concept, but it made it phenomenal. The relationship between Dek and his brother at the beginning of the film made me tear up. It was such a great representation of brothers, and humanizing the Yautja was well done.  

I understand that some people are not the biggest fans of Dek’s design, you should consider that he is the runt of his clan. He is supposed to look rigid and ruined. It makes you want to see him succeed and be redeemed. I found him to be just such an interesting character, despite him being just a creature. The concept of humanizing creatures has been done before, such as in 1931 with Frankenstein, but this film takes it to a whole new level, turning one of the most horrifying and gruesome creatures in cinema into a more sympathetic creature that has more emotional bearing.  

The story itself is very intriguing. The whole time you’re wondering where the story will go. “Will Dek get the hunt?” “Will Dek get revenge for his brother?” “Will Dek survive?” Due to the film being so different from the usual Predator films, it really makes you curious to know the direction that the film is going. 

Another interesting story point was the inclusion of the Weyland-Yutani. For those that don’t know, the Weyland-Yutani and the synthetics are the same from the Alien franchise. The film is undoubtedly the starting point for the setup of an Alien vs Predator remake, the last one having been released in 2007. The inclusion of the Weyland-Yutani made sense, though, and was utilized well. It showed the corruption of Mother and the whole corporation. Its intertwining with Dek’s story makes for a great setup for future films. In the film, Mother calls Dek a threat. I guess that when Mother realizes that Tess, one of the synths, failed, she will send out more synths to find Dek, using Aliens as bioweapons, ultimately leading to a battle between the Aliens and Predators. 

Seeing Dek learn compassion and appreciation for teamwork is such a touching element. He ends up realizing that working with others is okay. When Tess ends up killing the Kalisk, Dek kills her, killing the one who killed the unkillable. Dek eventually gets revenge for his brother by killing their father, who had ended his life. During this fight, we see everything that Dek has learned during his time on Genna. It shows how Dek is no longer weak and has grown both physically and emotionally, ultimately becoming a stronger Yautja.  

In terms of the film’s technical aspects, the cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The use of different camera lenses, the angles, the composition, are all fantastic. The soundtrack and tribal sounds are so immersive and catchy. The effects in the film are also really well done. I love the mix of both practical effects and CGI utilized in the film. The balance between the two allows for a more realistic feel. 

For the cons of the film, there were really were only two. For one, the pacing is a bit slow at the beginning of the film. After the first major action scene on Genna, the film becomes a little slow, I’d say, until Dek meets Bud. That little section felt like it was dragging a bit. Another issue I had with the film was Thia at the beginning of the film. I feel like she was overwhelming in the beginning, but as the film progressed, she became a way more enjoyable character. Which brings me to the humor, which surprisingly I did not find cheesy, it was very well done. 

Overall, the film is really well done and a great watch. I give it a solid 8/10.  

Breakdown: Story: 7/10 Visuals: 9/10 Characters: 7/10 Soundtrack: 9/10