While I’ve seen Shane Black’s 2018 The Predator, I’ve never seen the classic, 80’s Arnie film. So again I don’t know all the intricate backstory or Easter eggs (this is a constant theme - perhaps I need to really get onto that classic watchlist that seems to be ever growing). But this is a standalone film from the others, existing in its own universe. With a stunning, realised fully breathing world, Predator: Badlands is an action stacked adventure film that will thoroughly entertain both fans and those new to the franchise.  

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Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Badlands is set in the future on a remote planet, where Dek, a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. 

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Predator: Badlands is an out and out adventure film following Dek as he journeys through a lush planet to get his first kill - the unkillable Kalisk. At a brisk runtime of just under two hours, director Trachtenberg stacks a heck of a lot into this journey. Bursting with life this new world that Dek finds himself in is one stunning vista after another (helped by the gloriously beautiful New Zealand landscape) which Trachtenberg has stuffed full to bursting with creatures of all shapes and forms. 

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This is an action stacked kind of film that will leave you breathless with its ferocity and speed. You are drawn into the story through connection to the main characters of Dek and Thia, helped tremendously by their development and humanizing. Find the biggest screen and indulge in this great popcorn flick.

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With a stunning, realised fully breathing world, Predator: Badlands is an action stacked adventure film that will thoroughly entertain both fans and those new to the franchise.