For decades, the Predator franchise has been an underdog. While there have always been big ambitions lurking beneath the surface, the budgets never quite supported the kind of full-blown, gonzo Predator film fans dreamed about — easy to imagine, much harder to bring to life.

Over the years, everyone from Robert Rodriguez to Shane Black to the Strauss Brothers toyed with the idea of taking Predator to space and crafting a full-scale sci-fi adventure centered on the Yautja and their culture. Yet none had fully succeeded… until now. Following the surprise critical and commercial success of the prequel Prey and the impressive animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, director Dan Trachtenberg returns for a third outing and delivers the unthinkable: a colossal, jaw-dropping Predator blockbuster that absolutely rips.

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TOP FIVE THINGS ABOUT “PREDATOR: BADLANDS”

5. The Scale

While the official budget hasn’t been disclosed, it’s safe to say that Predator: Badlands is likely the most expensive film in the franchise’s history — and for good reason. The film is absolutely massive, showcasing lush, fully realized sci-fi environments that feel gargantuan in both scale and scope. Every penny of the bigger budget is on display, and you can feel it in every frame.

What makes it even more satisfying is seeing Trachtenberg transition from the small-budget, straight-to-streaming Prey to this sprawling blockbuster. Despite unprecedented resources, he exercises remarkable restraint and precision, ensuring the film never feels cluttered, messy, or unfocused. His signature narrative and thematic clarity guides audiences through this panoramic world, and the payoff is nothing short of spectacular.

4. The Lead Characters

Making a Predator movie with a Yautja as the protagonist is the kind of balls-to-the-wall choice you can’t help but admire. Pulling it off — turning that choice into an emotional, thrilling, and deeply satisfying cinematic experience — is even more impressive. The lead character, Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is a Predator unlike anything audiences have seen before, yet still firmly rooted in the franchise’s traditions. Dek retains the imposing presence of the classic movie monster while delivering unexpected heart and humor. Much of that comes from Schuster-Koloamatangi’s extraordinary physical performance, enhanced by digital effects that translate subtle human facial expressions into the Yautja’s mandibles with striking precision.

Elsewhere, Elle Fanning delivers a standout dual performance as Weyland-Yutani synths Thia and Tessa. The two characters couldn’t be more different in terms of personality, motives, and presence, yet Fanning brings both to life with visceral energy. It’s a powerful addition to the year’s growing list of exceptional dual performances and helps anchor the film in both recognizable emotion and raw brutality. Simply put, it’s excellent work all around.

3. The Superb Writing

The script by Patrick Aison and Brian Duffield, based on a story by Trachtenberg, is a masterclass in structure. It takes the core premise and spins it into an odyssey for Dek that is utterly enthralling. The film is relentlessly entertaining from start to finish, but by the third act, it becomes clear just how subtly and brilliantly Trachtenberg and the writers have been planting the seeds for the finale. Everything comes together in a rip-roaring cinematic payoff that delivers on every level.

2. A Fourth Act and a Fifth Act!?

Calling Predator: Badlands action-packed is a massive understatement. The film crams so much substantive, thrilling action into its opening twenty minutes that by the time the opening title card hits, it already feels like you’ve seen a feature-length film. Character growth, emotion, and thematic beats are all conveyed through kinetic, expertly choreographed action, and the film is all the stronger for it.

This richness reaches its peak in the final act, which doesn’t just deliver a climactic payoff — it goes for a fourth act, and then a fifth, in utterly bonkers fashion. For context, a fourth act is when a movie surpasses its apparent climax with an even higher-stakes finale (think any James Cameron epic). Predator: Badlands makes the truly audacious choice to double down with a fifth act, and it earns every second. Each new escalation raises the stakes, deepens the emotional intensity, and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It absolutely rips — this is exactly what movie theaters were made for.

1. The Ultimate Predator Movie

If I had seen this movie when I was twelve, it would have changed my life. I can’t speak for every Predator fan, but I’ve spent years imagining some version of a big-budget, space-set, Yautja-focused Predator film — and Predator: Badlands delivers it, and then some.

Watching it was almost surreal. I still can’t fully believe it exists: a massive, high-budget Predator blockbuster that feels like the kind of epic story you’d only find in Dark Horse comics for decades, now fully realized on an IMAX screen. It’s unbelievably cool.

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RGM GRADE

(B+)

Predator: Badlands is a momentous delight. Regardless of how it performs financially, let it be known that this installment is nothing short of astonishing, and I look immensely forward to seeing whatever Dan Trachtenberg delivers next.