The hunt is on.

The Film Jury assembles for a brutal new hunt in Predator: Badlands (2025) — the latest Predator film directed by Dan Trachtenberg.

Starring Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek (a young, exiled Yautja) and Elle Fanning as Thia (a damaged synthetic), the film throws survival horror into overdrive on a hostile alien world.

Hosts James Patrick, Kat Stratford, and Alabama Deer break down:

• The shift in perspective — for the first time, a Predator is the protagonist.

• The visual style and world-building of Trachtenberg's direction.

• How Dek and Thia's unlikely alliance plays out, emotionally and thematically.

• The action, creature design, and whether this entry feels fresh or derivative.

• Whether Badlands advances Predator mythology or leans too hard into nostalgia.

The Verdict — 12/15 Gavels

• James Patrick — 3/5 Gavels

• Kat Stratford — 5/5 Gavels

• Alabama — 4/5 Gavels

Does Predator: Badlands prove that Predators can be heroes? Or is it another wild hunt that loses its way? Tune in and render your verdict.

🔔 Subscribe to The Film Jury for weekly breakdowns, honest reviews, and verdicts that don't shy away from the claws.