Predator: Badlands landed on Rotten Tomatoes with an 89% critic score as the first 75 reviews are now available.
The audience score will arrive once the film opens wider. That puts Dan Trachtenberg’s follow-up to Prey in impressive territory for the franchise.
For comparison:
- Prey — 94%
- Predator (1987) — 65%
- Predator 2 — 36%
- The Predator (2018) — 34%
Badlands shifts the series again, putting the Yautja front-and-center as the protagonist in a sci-fi adventure with emotional stakes and franchise-expanding lore. The film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.
Check out what the reviews say below.
What the reviews say
The Positive:
Critics praising Predator: Badlands say the film takes a bold creative swing that pays off, reinventing the franchise with heart, humor, and an unexpected buddy-adventure tone while still delivering strong action and striking visuals. Many highlight Dan Trachtenberg’s confident direction, noting that the movie expands Yautja lore in meaningful ways and brings emotional depth without sacrificing spectacle. Reviewers also call out Elle Fanning and the film’s creature work as standouts, with some saying it’s the best Predator outing since the original or Prey.
“The takeaway, I think, is applicable to beings all across the universe: sometimes the things you want most are not worth wanting, and until you figure that out, you’ll never be free.” – RogerEbert.com
“It zips along at a brisk pace, contains a surprising amount of pathos for a yarn set in this universe, and delivers a rollicking, sci-fi fantasy adventure with plenty of solid action and striking visuals.” – FILMINK
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that we have a Predator film that’s essentially an alien and robot buddy movie. It’s so refreshing to see a film franchise dish out something so unexpected.” – Perri Nemiroff
“Predator: Badlands will kick your a– and break a foot doing it. Director Dan Trachtenberg is on a roll with a superb third entry in the franchise. He continues an intriguing narrative evolution and ups the action ante with banner visual effects.” – BlackFilmandTV.com
“The strongest film with “Predator” in the title since the 1987 original (Trachtenberg’s earlier “Prey” notwithstanding).” – Variety
The Negative:
Negative reviews argue that Predator: Badlands softens the franchise too much, diluting the Predator’s menace and leaning into a more family-friendly, Disney-style tone. Critics say the shift toward CG spectacle and buddy-movie comedy undercuts tension and mystery, with some calling the dialogue condescending and the world-building unnecessary. A common theme is that the film loses the primal edge and fear that defined the original, making the franchise feel lighter and less impactful.
“Dan Trachtenberg returns to the Predator series with Predator Badlands, an okay version of a strong concept weighed down by condescending dialogue.” – But Why Tho? A Geek Community
“While there’s plenty of CGI-packed action, there’s no real tension.” – Polygon
“The mystique of the Predator, what it was and where it came from, was best left to the imagination; the second you start pulling at that thread, the whole idea falls apart.” – AV Club
“Predator: Badlands takes one of sci-fi horrors most formidable warriors and neuters it entirely, pairs it with some child-baiting sidekicks, overloads it with CG, and creates a rather lacklustre movie that screams Disneyfication.” – THN
“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.” – Deadline
