Carolyn Jenkins is a writer at Collider whose expertise varies from horror to drama and has a long history of variously consuming narrative television
The ‘80s would not have been the same without the star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger. His most iconic achievement of the decade was starring in Predator, which spawned no less than five sequels. A mash-up of genuinely entertaining action, sci-fi, and horror, the first film introduces the titular alien with fascinating lore.
Predator follows a paramilitary team on a rescue mission as they travel into the jungle, only to discover they have more to worry about than the terrain. While Dutch’s team continues its operation, an alien known only as a Predator begins to stalk them. Armed with a cloaking device and thermal imaging, he is the ultimate hunting machine. Predator launched a franchise with rich mythology built around a villain who doesn't speak in human language in the first film. The predator’s modus operandi is to hunt a worthy opponent, a task that is significant to their culture. Dutch becomes that very opponent and realizes the predator is hunting him by tracking his heat signature. He solves this by cloaking himself in mud to hide. He refuses to believe that this thing is invincible, delivering the famous line: “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” This quote went on to define a franchise that fascinated viewers with its in-depth lore. Sequels were more innovative, and rarely did the same thing twice. In recent years, Dan Trachtenberg has blown audiences away with his storytelling in the universe and even found a way to turn the famous sci-fi quote on its head. ‘Predator: Badlands’ Doesn’t Have Any Human Characters Dan Trachtenberg has directed no flops since his debut Predator film, Prey. The period film about an indigenous woman defeating a hunter alien was just the beginning, as he continued to impress with each movie that differed from the last. Predator: Badlands was the first movie to take place from the perspective of the Yautja. The phenomenal film follows Dek , the runt of his clan, who is out to prove himself to his brutal father. Few fathers have been worse since Prince Zuko’s dad, Firelord Ozai, in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and this is one of them. Along the way, Dek meets Thia , a Weyland-Yutani android, on the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. A large portion of the film consists of Dek trying to take down a terrifying beast, but the real predator turns out to be her sister android, Tessa. While Thia is open to the planet and becomes truly empathetic, the same cannot be said for Tessa. Tessa is Weyland-Yutani through and through. She is MU/TH/UR’s creature and does not ignore her superior's commands. She is tasked with bringing home Dek and even turns against Tessa when her sister strays from their programming. Tessa is the predator of the film, and even though she isn’t human, Dek and Thia still find a way to destroy her. The found family at the center of Predator: Badlands faces off against an almost undefeatable foe. Androids have a milky fluid in place of blood, undoubtedly more formidable than any human. Thia has already proven she is hard to kill, as her torso is separated from the rest of her body for a large portion of the film. Tessa is just as tough and becomes even more dangerous operating a power loader in a climactic battle. Subscribe for Deeper Predator Universe Coverage Join the newsletter to dive deeper into Predator's evolving mythology and filmmaking choices — focused analysis, behind-the-scenes context, and character-driven insights that enrich how you think about the franchise. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Therein lies the point of the film. The power of connection is more important than any foe, no matter how formidable they seem to be. Tessa doesn’t technically bleed like a human, and Dek, Tessa, and their alien friend Bud all have a part in killing her. Apart, they are weak, but together they form a clan of their own. Trachtenberg returned to the Predator world, demonstrating emotional nuance in a sci-fi franchise that started with one man fighting an alien in the jungle. 7 10 Predator: Badlands Like Follow Followed PG-13 Action Science Fiction Adventure Thriller Release Date November 5, 2025 Runtime 107 minutes Director Dan Trachtenberg Writers Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas Producers Brent O'Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben Rosenblatt Cast See All
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