Nov 06, 2025
3 min read
Critics say Elle Fanning effortlessly comes to life in a film filled with stunning visuals and incredible world-building.
Tagged: Action, Movies, Sci-Fi
The ninth film in the Predator franchise (including Crossover ) opens Friday, and early reviews of the sequel have been primarily positive.Once again directed and co-written by Prey helmer Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Badlands takes the property in a new direction, teaming the titular aliens (played by Dimtrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) with an android (Elle Fanning) in an action-packed story that's being hailed as one of Marvel's oldest acting franchises.And more heart than you'd expect.
Here's what the reviews are saying about Predator: Badlands:
This is a really amazing and jolly good time at the theater.
- Courtney Howard, novaĵo
It's the kind of blockbuster you don't get anymore: tight, tactile, brutal, and never winking at the audience with a constant list of references or a joke to relieve the tension.He believes in his world and invites us to do the same.
- Matt Oakes, Silver Screen Riot
Bold, strange and unexpectedly moving, this is the kind of risk-taking sci-fi we don't see enough of today.
Linda Marrick, Haygois
It's one of the most exciting sci-fi adventures of the year.
- Andrew J. Salar, Discussion Film
This is one of the funniest movies of the year.
- Kelechi Ehenulo, a filmmaker
It is sure to be the most exciting movie of the year.
- Daniel Baptista, The Film Podcast
It's the strongest film with "Predator" in the title since the 1987 original.
- Peter causes heart disease
It is the second best entry in the series and the enthusiastic start to what looks to be a fantastic future.
—Nick Shag, The Daily Beast
Money can buy you the best medical and information health services.
- Roberto Tyler Orts, high and clear reviews
For being a Predator movie, Badlands leans more into the sci-fi of the [Wayland] Corporation than the horror/action side of Predator, and it felt new and fresh in a way.
- Rachel Leishman, Mary Sue
It's fun, the fun of entering, but it's not difficult because you don't think that the failure of the hund will end.
- Giovanni Singo, next picture
It taps into the pulsating artery that makes movies like this so fundamentally compelling: the culture of necessity.
- Matt Tose, Silver Screen Panic
This series is better than this.
- Ross Boname, Pounder
Predator: Badlands takes everything that audiences love about the series and combines it into a story with just the right amount of pathos.
- Courtney Howard, facien seger
Some viewers may miss the macho brutality of the Predators of old, but Dek's adventures in self-reliance and chosen family may satisfy many others.
- Richard Lawson, Hollywood Reporter
What happens when you ask the question that the Predator must be human?
- Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Some Predator owners may be mistaken for humor operating in its franchise along with a PG-13 rating.
- Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles' Movie Files
Longtime Predator fans may miss the stripped-down thrills of the earlier films.
- Linda Marick, Heyuguys
Trachtenberg's world structure is magnificent.
— Roberto Tyler Ortiz, goux and clear 리뷰뷰
Worldbuilding has been taken to the next level.
– Mattas Oakesas, „Silver Screen Riot“.
Chrillia grows myths while delivering high caliber merchandise in the process.
- Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
This entry looks so much like it could be the start of a series.
- Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles Film Files
The inevitable shift to a more franchise-centric focus is just troubling.
- Giovanni Lago, The Next Best Movie
Putting the Hadleator in Trachtenberg's [hands] was one of the smart things this franchise did.
- Rus Bonim, massage
Trachtenberg, these three to three of the Shepherd Franchise, emerged as something of a modern day Cameron, they were sudden, slow and in a way that told the truth.
- Mat okes, something new
I firmly believe that the predator prisipis is in safe hands with Dan TrakshTrTT.
- Roberto Tyler Ortiz, First Thoughts and Clarity
The design of his vision for the franchise is starting to cool.
- Giovanni Lago, excellent photo
Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison gift us with a smart story that feels compelling.
- Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
The screenplay by Patrick Eason and Brian Duffield is lean, its pace as sharp as the edge of Yautya.
- Matt Oakes, Silver Screen Riot
Badlands is brilliant in the way it expands on the origins and lore of this alien race, adding depth to a largely one-dimensional character.
- Ross Bonima, Collider
One of the wisest decisions of the script is not to deliberately make Thea an audience surrogate.
- Andrew J. Salazar, discussing the film
Trachtenberg's story (written by Patrick Aison and Brian Duffield) is an ordinary machine with somewhat unique characteristics.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
The plot is simple but twisted.
- Jannathan Sthanan，Toast.net
Smart, seamless and amazingly stylish;a crossover that makes you wish this shared universe was a plan from both sides.
— Matt Oakes, Silver Screen Riot
Trachtenberg Makes Beast: Badlanders is the closest thing to a beast movie in years, and it shows that these two brands have taken the time to build more often.
- Bonaime, Collider
Whether or not Predator: Badlands creates another round of Alien vs. Predator, Trachtenberg further enhances the scope and scale of his latest film by weaving together two classic film franchises.
- Nick Schager, The Everyday Monster
It is obvious that the Wahlandia-Yutani model from the Alliat period is interesting for others
- Andrew J. Salazar, Film Review
Every fight feels tactile, you can practically hear the mud splashing.The choreography has the same polished look you'd see in a top-notch Hollywood action film.
- Anthony Why, Film Blog
The action sequences are cleanly edited and the camera never strays from the geography.When the deck fights, you feel every movement and it fills you with adrenaline.
- Roberto Tyler Ortiz, Great and Clear Review
The movements - especially the body movements - are visceral and creative, combining determined brutality with kinetic grace. This is easily one of the best physical games in the entire series.
— Linda Marric, HaiUGuys
The action in Badlands is crisp, brutal and shot with great clarity, with high-tech weapons and various beasts to kill, but what makes these elements stand out is how smoothly they deliver the story.
– Mattas Oakesas, „Silver Screen Riot“.
Predator Badlands has a fantastic final act that delivers all the over-the-top, intense action sequences that fans of the franchise have come to expect, with a richer focus on the story.
- Jeffrey Lyles, Lyn Films file
Once again, Trachtenberg excels in the action sequences, and these new creatures make for wild battles that are fun to watch.
- Ross Bonaime, Collider
The action sequences are exciting, shown at a fast clip.Fights and sting operations are officially recorded and closed.
- Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
This movie is so violent it's a wonder it was rated PG-13.
- PetroGarer Serus, lahi
The special effects are amazing.
- Matt Tose, Silver Screen Panic
Studio Gillis and the VFX wizards at Wētā who provided the new creature suit deserve huge credit.
-Andrew J. Salazar, Discussus Film
Trachtenberg's opening set piece is marred by the boring CGI murkies that are usually the province of Netflix.
- Nick Shager, The Daily Beast
Trachenberg's growing obsession with scale occasionally works against him, however, as revisions to some of the CGI-heavy sequences feel clumsy and challenging.
- Giovanni Lago, the next best movie
Always breathe and watch ... look, this is a movie.
- Roberto Tyler Orich, a strong and clear review
In sight, the balance is my soul.Cupographer Jeff leafpar World Strange deserts and storms with the majesty of the dream.
– Linda Marric, HejUGuys
This may be the most visually stunning and physically grounded Predator movie to date.
- Anthony Woodste, Film Blog
The frame building of the sequences takes the emotion out of all the emotion.Cinematographer Jeff Cutter and the VFX team capture them with the eyes of a child.
- Karast ship, fresh legendary
The bright blur does not help at all.Sometimes it is almost impossible to tell what is happening on the screen.
- Joonatan Itkonen, toisto.net
ELLE FANNING steals the film in a dual performance as the Androids Tia and Tessa.
- Roberto Tyler Ortiz, powerful and clear review
The fans are moving forward.It's the most reliable android in the series - amazing, dynamic and light everywhere.
- Howardney Howard, fresh fiction
Fanning means blowing in fresh air.
— Richard Lawson, The Hollywood Reporter
It's his turn... proving, like Ian Holm and Michael Fassbender before him, that there are some Sci-fi roles as weyland-yutani bots.
- Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Every time he appears on the screen, all the problems flow.If ever there was a successor to Sigourney Weaver in this franchise, it should be Elle Fanning.
- Joonatan Itkonen, Toisto.net
Predator: The Badlands is far from flat thanks to the effortless brilliance of Elle Fanning
- Peter Brafosu, guard
2025 is the year Fanning proves she can do anything.
- Russ Bonname, Collider
Schuster-Koloamatangi and Fanning's chemistry makes the dynamic between Dick and Thea especially compelling.
- Giovanni lago, the best picture
What sells [the story] is the chemistry between Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatanga.
- Nik Schager.
Fanat and Schuster-Kolomatangi's best performances (especially Yuarja's eye)
- Kelechi Ehenulo, film producer
A lot of what makes badlands work and how it does it comes down to these two games.
- ross boname, collider
If the weak point is real, how are the characters written by a person (or a collective) outside of Dogm and Thea?
- Roberto Tyler Ortiz, recenzii Loud and Clear
If there's one downside, it's that the film moves too quickly because you don't have time to sit with the emotional weight.
- Anthony Whyte, filem bloga
It's just a minor complaint, and it only comes up here and there, but it's one of the most annoying aspects of Badlands, the way it injects more heart into the Predator story.
- no ross, collision
Its ambition sometimes overwhelms it – some tonal shifts feel out of sync with the rest of the story.
-Linda Marek, Hughie's
The Franchise has many stories and fights.Go on the Next Hunt.
- Caleche Ehenulo, knowledge
Traunenberger did another incredible job in this franchise, and I hope we learn more about how he balances out the signs of wrestling with the ghost of Jastaja.
- Rachel Leishman, Mary Sue
The Predator: Badlands opens in theaters on November 7, 2025.
