Most moviegoers know what to expect from a Predator movie: hunting, blood, and techno-weaponry, with light characterization. Starting with 2022’s Prey, Dan Trachtenberg turned the franchise towards more thoughtful characters. In Prey, we got to know the protagonist as a person (not just briefly pre-deceased game), including a motivation beyond mere survival. Where Prey was a human coming-of-age tale, Badlands is a Predator version of the same.
The story is about a runt-of-the-litter Predator (called “Yautja” in the universe) setting out to prove his worthiness to his father. The movie sets the tone at the outset by combining familial emotion with a battle. It then pursues a surprising theme for a franchise that involves laser sighting and beheadings: the meaning of family. And it does so credibly. As the Predator finds assistance from other characters, their interplay begins to form a genuine feeling of connection. I found myself thinking about the theme days later, not what I’d expect from a Predator movie. The character dynamics also tickle with some inter-species humor.
The original Predator, released in 1987, focused on American soldiers in a South American jungle, with a subplot critique of American government operations on the continent. This time, the critique appears to be about the modern mode of capitalism. The villain of Badlands is Weyland-Yutani, the mega-corporation of the Aliens/Predator universe. Here, as in Aliens, the company’s pursuit is organisms as property, real and intellectual. The reference to a large corporation using natural resources seems aimed at the AI boom. And the size of the fictional corporation brought to mind the growing set of real trillion-dollar corporations. Weyland-Yutani’s massive logistical operation, its shipping containers of cheerful yellow, and its mission-driven personnel have a distinctly modern tech-corp feel.
Beyond the mild social commentary, the focus remains on the Yautja and the group he gathers. The on-brand violence and action are entertaining, even as the strange-world creatures and special effects sometimes feel cartoonish. Trachtenberg knows his comic-book framing: there are multiple wallpaper-worthy shots of the Predator’s hunt. The performance by newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (and some special effects in facial expressions) also gave the Predator nuance, imbuing the youthful Yautja with a single-focused, slightly-dumb hero swagger. The persona has a funny charm and it sets up a genuine emotional payoff from his character’s change.
Badlands is undoubtedly recommended for fans of the franchise and sci-fi action devotees, but some deeper characterizations make it a worthwhile watch for a broader audience. It helps that the violence is less slasher-film than earlier installments, as most of the violence is directed towards CGI creatures, androids, and the Yautja.
