Predator: Badlands

Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Trachtenberg's gambit of flipping the Predator into a protagonist lands for most critics, who found the world-building and creature design genuinely inventive — but the film splits sharply over whether its lead character earns emotional investment or merely goes through the motions of a familiar underdog arc. Elle Fanning's role as a human companion drew broad enthusiasm, while detractors argued the characterization stays too shallow to justify the franchise reinvention.