Predator: Badlands Rotten Tomatoes Score Continues a Great Franchise Trend

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The first Predator movie is a classic of 1980s action cinema, but the series struggled to recapture that success. Later sequels and crossovers with the Alien films were generally disliked by critics and didn’t perform well in theaters. 2018’s The Predator was a particular low point, earning only 34% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and making just $51 million in the US. Everything changed with director Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey, which was a huge success on Hulu. He followed that up with another well-received film, Predator: Killer of Killers, and now he’s back with the newest installment, Predator: Badlands. Thankfully, he continues to deliver strong films for the franchise.

Currently, Predator: Badlands has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 51 reviews. This continues a streak of positive reviews for the Predator series. Although its score is slightly lower than the previous two films, Badlands is comparable to Prey (94%) and Killer of Killers (95%). It’s now the third highest-rated Predator movie on Rotten Tomatoes.

What Critics Are Saying About Predator: Badlands

While there isn’t a general critical consensus on Predator: Badlands yet, early reviews show both strengths and weaknesses. Critics praise director Trachtenberg’s fresh take, which helps the Predator series explore new territory. A major highlight is the film’s protagonist – for the first time in a Predator movie, the main character is a member of the Yautja species, and this risk seems to have worked. Reviewers also note that the character Dek’s story is surprisingly human and relatable, making it easy for viewers to connect with the film. Despite some worries about the PG-13 rating, the action sequences are still intense and impactful.

I’ve been following the early reactions to the new Predator film, and while most critics seem to really like it, there’s definitely some division. Some reviewers are worried that by delving too deeply into the Predator’s backstory and expanding the mythology, the movie loses some of what made the original so special – or that it’s trying too hard to appeal to everyone and ends up feeling a little diluted. It’ll be fascinating to see if those concerns grow as more reviews come in over the next few days. The Rotten Tomatoes score is bound to change as more critics share their thoughts. Considering Prey had almost 300 reviews, we’ve really only seen a small number of takes on Badlands so far.

Early reviews suggest that Badlands is generally well-received. These full reviews largely confirm the initial reactions shared on social media last month: most people seem to enjoy the film, but consider it the least strong of the three Predator movies directed by Trachtenberg. Accordingly, it currently has the lowest score on Rotten Tomatoes of the three films, though it’s still expected to achieve a ‘Certified Fresh’ rating overall.

Early reactions to Predator: Badlands have been encouraging, and director Trachtenberg has plenty more stories he wants to tell. Whether those ideas become films will probably depend on how well Badlands performs. The movie has already impressed critics, but the real test comes now that it’s opening in theaters this week. It’s been seven years since a new Predator film was released, so it’s uncertain if the series can still attract audiences. Luckily, Badlands is arriving after a slow month for movies, and positive reviews should help draw people to the theater.

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2025-11-04 23:10