Critics Mostly Positive on ‘Predator: Badlands’: Tame, Heartfelt, and Surprisingly PG-13

I skipped last week’s press screening of “Predator: Badlands.” It’s not that I had absolutely zero interest in seeing it, but rather that it was happening at a theater way on the other side of town. And should I actually go out of my way to watch another “Predator” movie?

Really, has there been a good “Predator” movie since the original 1987 version? The last one, “The Predator,” nearly destroyed Shane Black’s career. “Predator 2” is known as the disappointing sequel. “Predators” (2010) was somewhat saved by Adrien Brody’s performance. Does “Prey” count? That straight-to-Hulu spin-off, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, somewhat rejuvenated the franchise.

Tratchtenberg is back with “Predator: Badlands,” starring Elle Fanning, and maybe I should have trekked out to see it after all. The review embargo has just lifted. Reactions lean on the positive. It currently stands at 68 on Metacritic. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schrager says it’s “the series’ second best instalment.”

This is the first Predator movie not to receive an R rating; it’s actually rated PG-13. The producers claimed the family-friendly rating was due to no human blood being spilled in the film, but some reviews describe it as “heartfelt,” “tame,” and lacking “genuine slaughter.“

This new chapter stars Fanning and takes the franchise in an unexpected direction. For the first time in the series, the Predator—this time named Dek—is positioned not as the antagonist, but as a protagonist. The story sees Dek forming an uneasy alliance with Thia (Fanning), a brilliant but inexperienced scientist. Together, they navigate a hostile alien wasteland on a distant, tech-ravaged planet.

The trailer promised a mix of high-concept sci-fi and stripped-down survivalism, but what fans of the franchise probably didn’t expect was something so “very PG-13.” Regardless, the film seems good enough to warrant a trip to the theater.

“Predator: Badlands” opens this Friday.