Predator: Badlands follows a young Yautja (Predator) named Dek. Dek is an outcast and has been ostracized by his clan due to being small, weak, and unworthy of the warrior traditions that define Yautjas. Determined to prove himself, he crash-lands on Genna, a savage alien planet filled with lethal creatures.
Over the course of the movie, Dek links up with Thia, a damaged android built by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Despite missing the lower half of her body, Thia helps Dek along the way with crucial information about the planet and the fearsome apex predator known as the Kalisk.
Overview
The story centers around Dek, a young Yautja runt who’s been cast out by his clan. Rather than being a mindless alien hunter, he has to prove himself worthy in a deeply traditional and brutal warrior society. Dek crash-lands on an alien planet to hunt the most dangerous predator on that planet, the Kalisk.
Along the way, Dek meets Thia, a half-destroyed android that becomes his friend and teaches Dek some lessons along the way. She also teaches him emotional insight, essential knowledge, and intelligence. Dek’s mission is to hunt the Kalisk, the ultimate trophy.
Throughout the movie, we learn that Thia’s “sister”, Tessa, is the main villain of the movie and is there to capture the Kalisk as well as kill Dek. She is there to do experiments on the Kalisk for the Weyland-Yutani company.
Along Deks’ journey, the film explores themes of family, honor, empathy, and redemption. The journey we get to witness Dek go on isn’t just physical; it’s deeply personal, and his alliances challenge Predator tradition.
Story
The story dives into the rigid, honor-bound culture of the Predator species. Dek’s exile shows how unforgiving their society is towards weakness. The story uses this to explore what strength really means beyond physical domination.
Throughout the story, we see Dek meet Thia. Thia has her own arc, learning to define herself outside of Weyland-Yutani’s programming. Thia’s vulnerability, literally being half a body, becomes central to how she reclaims agency throughout the story.
The location of the film is set in Genna. Which isn’t just a backdrop location either. Throughout the story, it gradually reveals how its ecosystem works, how the Kalisk fits into the story, and why the planet is so biologically volatile. The environmental world-building becomes a major factor in the plot of the story.
Dek’s morals change throughout the film as he learns more about the Kalisk, especially the family structure and defensive instincts. The movie reframes the traditional Predator “trophy hunt”. This story pushes Dek to question whether completing the hunt actually aligns with the honor he seeks.
Characters
Predator: Badlands surprisingly puts an emotional thread throughout the main characters by grounding each of them in complicated relationships with creators or parents.
Dek – Is rejected by his father, branded unworthy, and cast out, a wound that drives everyone’s choice he makes on Genna.
Thia and Tessa – both synthetics built as “daughters” of Weyland-Yutani’s programming, struggle in different ways with the legacy forced on them by corporate “father”, one resisting and one embracing it.
Kwei and Father – Kwei is a protector of his brother. Their father arrives and orders Kwei to kill Dek, deeming him too weak for the clan. Kwei defies the order and remotely activates the ship to take Dek to Genna while Dek is forced to watch his father kill Kwei.
For the full cast list, you can visit IMDB by clicking here.
Hype
The hype was sky high. From the success of Prey, which went straight to streaming, the hype surrounding this film was already massive, and then to learn that we’ll be seeing this movie from the perspective of a Predator was insane. The only time that the hype was negative was when fans were talking about the design of Dek, but that was what he was meant to look like, as he was the “runt” of the clan.
Favorite Moments
1. I loved the scene between Kwei and Dek at the beginning of the movie. Seeing their relationship of brotherhood for that short period of time, seeing how brutal and ruthless the father, Njhorr, was to Dek. Seeing Kwei sacrifice himself for Dek was something we’ve not seen from Predators.
2. I loved the introduction of Thia. She was hilarious from the get-go, and the trio’s relationship between Thia, Dek, and the alien named Bud was something that we saw expand throughout the story, and the trio helped each other out massively.
3. The first fight with Dek and the Kalisk. Seeing Dek lose his temper and go one-on-one with this massive, alpha predator. Seeing him manage to sever the head, but the Kalisk just regenerates until the Weyland-Yutani team arrives and captures both Predators.
4. Seeing Dek create a suit of Predator armor from organic things harvested from Genna’s environment was actually super smart and super unique. Seeing how he was able to use this and still go up against an android using his own advanced tech was amazing.
5. The fight between Dek and his father. It was quick and brutal. Something his father did not see coming. His father still thought of Dek as this weak Predator that ran for his life and did not expect for him to return as this honorable Predator that was able to swiftly take not only him down, but two other larger Predators.
Dislikes
Nothing to dislike.
Recommend?
1000% yes. I will be rewatching this multiple times. It is a unique Predator perspective film. Dan Trachtenberg has delivered another hit within this universe.
Verdict
Overall, a solid Predator film that easily slots into the top 3 for me personally. It delivered a unique perspective to the Predator honor code, showcasing Predator emotions and family ties. The story also delivered us a story about a Predator that knew what honor he wanted, and it was the dishonorable that his father wanted. The action was brutal and messy, just like a Predator movie should be.
Rating: 9.4/10
Predator: Badlands is available in cinemas worldwide. You can visit here for more information on Predator: Badlands.
The Review
Story - 10
Action - 10
Quality - 8.5
Structure - 8.5
Characters - 9
Entertainment - 10
Antagonists - 9.5
Hype - 10
9.4
Amazing
Overall, a solid Predator film that easily slots into the top 3 for me personally. It delivered a unique perspective to the Predator honor code, showcasing Predator emotions and family ties. The story also delivered us a story about a Predator that knew what honor he wanted, and it was the dishonorable that his father wanted. The action was brutal and messy, just like a Predator movie should be.
