Predator: Badlands
2025 · Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
Original language: English
- action
- science fiction
- adventure
The story
Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
What it’s like
Vivid, saturated color against hostile alien terrain: bright orange deserts, lurid greens and sickly purples, sun-bleached rock and wind-blown dust under a harsh, unforgiving sky. The camera moves with the characters in restless, kinetic takes, with sweeping wide shots of barren landscapes giving way to tight, claustrophobic framing in the jungle undergrowth. The sound design leans on crunching footsteps, alien calls and the thrum of hunting machinery, with a pulsing synth-leaning score that pushes the chase forward. The vibe is scrappy and sun-scorched, a little playful between two unlikely companions and then suddenly tense. Pacing is brisk and relentless, with long stretches of wandering broken by bursts of combat. The emotional register centres on an outcast youngster and a damaged android slowly building trust while both are hunted. Violence is frequent and stylized, with brief but bloody fights, creature menace and alien gore; it is intense rather than sustained horror. Suited to a Friday night with friends or someone who wants a vivid, fast-moving sci-fi adventure with a team-up streak. Not gentle.
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