‘Predator: Badlands’ Review Roundup – What Are The Critics Saying About the Latest Installment?
Predator: Badlands, the latest entry in the long-running Predator franchise, is hitting theaters this week, and early reactions from critics are mostly positive.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the 2025 sci-fi action film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. It is the sixth live-action Predator movie and the ninth overall in the series. The film had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on November 3, and is set to open in U.S. theaters on November 7, through 20th Century Studios.
The story takes place on a distant planet in the future, where a young Predator, cast out from his clan, teams up with a human named Thia. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey in search of the ultimate enemy.
On November 7, witness the rise of the ultimate Predator.
— 20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) October 22, 2025
Watch the international trailer for Predator: Badlands, in theaters and IMAX November 7. pic.twitter.com/LSquRzzg64
Critics have praised Trachtenberg’s direction, calling the film a standout for the franchise. Many note that it offers a fresh mix of bold ideas, impressive visuals, and even some unexpected emotional depth.
The chemistry between Dek, the young Predator, and Thia has been highlighted as a fun and engaging twist that brings new energy to the series. Reviewers also pointed out the high-quality cinematography, makeup, and visual effects, saying the movie is designed to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Some critics even consider it one of the most inventive and risk-taking sci-fi action films in recent years.
Trachtenberg’s magnum opus far surpasses anything we might normally get from a sci-fi action film.
Edward Douglas
Bold, bizarre, and unexpectedly moving, it’s the kind of risk-taking sci-fi we don’t see enough of nowadays.
Linda Marric
Housing gorgeous cinematography, a stunning showcase for make-up and immersive visual effects, as well as a perfect screwball comedy-esque leading lady performance, it’s a radical film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Courtney Howard
Dek and Thia are an unexpectedly fun pairing that bring a new energy to the franchise and an altogether different kind of hunt. It might not be pulling the skull and spine out of us and screaming in bloody victory, but it gets close.
Clint Cage
By reckoning with the series’ fundamental weakness rather than continuing to pretend that it’s the series’ greatest strength, Trachtenberg has made the brand richer than ever before.
David Ehrlich
The strongest film with “Predator” in the title since the 1987 original (Trachtenberg’s earlier “Prey” notwithstanding).
Peter Debruge
However, not all feedback has been positive. Some critics feel that the Predator in this film has lost much of its original menace, and the action scenes do not always deliver the intensity expected from the series.
Others argue that the film tries too hard to appeal to a broader audience, which reduces the R-rated edge that fans have come to expect. A few reviewers also mentioned that the plot sometimes feels aimless, and even Elle Fanning’s strong performance cannot fully overcome these issues.
The action scenes never seem to galvanize, and somewhere along the line the predator, once a ruthless, unstoppable killing machine, has simply lost its menacing mojo. It all seems a bit, well, silly.
Damon Wise
A sometimes inventive but too frequently anemic effort to expand the proudly R-rated Predator-verse into the mass-market appeal of PG sterility.
Barry Hertz
The sheer pointlessness of everything that happens subtracts the oxygen and even Fanning’s imperishable star quality can’t save it.
Peter Bradshaw
Overall, the critical consensus leans toward the movie being a fresh and bold take on the Predator franchise, even if it may not satisfy all longtime fans.
It’s clear that Predator: Badlands has sparked a range of reactions, from excitement over its risks and visuals to disappointment over its tone and action. What do you think? Are you excited to see this new chapter in the Predator universe, or do you think it strays too far from what made the originals great? Share your thoughts in the comments.
