Fans of Prey know that Dan Trachtenberg really knows how to bring new life to the world of Predator. And Predator: Badlands proves that even more. The new film gives us a new point of view on the iconic movie villain and it ruled.
Throughout the history of Predator in cinema, he has been the antagonist. We’re watching Arnold Schwarzenegger try to survive a Yautja in the jungle or we want to see Amber Midthunder take one down. Never have we really been rooting for one to win and now with Predator: Badlands, the audience is given the chance to understand who the Yautja are with Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi).
Dek is a smaller Yautja and we learn quickly that the Yautja must kill their weak. But Dek isn’t “weak.” Despite his size, he is a fierce warrior and proves himself by going to the planet Genna to try and get his trophy to earn his cloak. Yes, it did take me much too long to realize that the cloak in question is how the Yautja can be invisible but that’s on me.
For being a Predator movie, Badlands leans heavily into the science fiction of the Waylon corporation instead of the horror/action side of Predator and it did make this feel new and fresh in a way that I think has made Trachtenberg a perfect director for this franchise. But what really works with Badlands is the balance of humor with Thia (Elle Fanning) and Dek as the two worlds collide with each other.
You still get the iconic Predator fights, but with a lot more weight to them
One of the things that has always bothered me about the Predator franchise is that it was all about how “cool” the fights with “the Predator” were and less about the motivations of the Yautja. Call me a girl for wanting character arcs and motivations but I do think that Badlands shines because you understand why these Yautjas are all so determined. It isn’t a need to kill, it is for the honor of their clan.
Thia is trying to connect with Dek throughout the film and understand this species. In doing so, she explains to him how the wolf is one of the fiercest creatures on Earth but they do not hunt alone. They have a pack. It is, in part, so that Dek will take her with him and let her learn from him but it is also one of the first times in Predator history that you can understand the mindset of a Yautja. They have a clan but they are not of the clan. They are not a hive mentality.
The Yautja must be fierce and strong and honor their clan but that doesn’t mean that their clan will protect them and Badlands really helps to paint a new light on the Yautja in a way that changes, at least for me, how I view the Yautja who came before Dek.
Trachtenberg did another incredibly job with this franchise and I do hope we get to see more of how he balances the epic fight sequences with the lore of the Yautja moving forward. Predator: Badlands is in theaters on November 7.
(featured image: 20th Century Studios)
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