Trachtenberg's Predator Badlands draws broad praise at UK premiere

Dan Trachtenberg’s new Predator film, Predator Badlands, premiered in the United Kingdom on October 29, and early reactions on social media and from critics were broadly positive, praising the direction, performances and a bolder, genre-bending approach. The film, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, opens exclusively in cinemas on November 7 and is the latest entry in the long-running Predator franchise.

Set in the future on a remote, lethal planet, the story follows a young Predator outcast, played by Schuster-Koloamatangi, who forms an unlikely alliance with Thia, played by Fanning, as they journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Casting materials for the production additionally described a dual-role element for Fanning, listing two sisters, Thia and Tessa, whose divergent paths and missions test family ties, and indicating that at least one of those characters bears corporate insignia on a physical implant. The screenplay is credited to Patrick Aison, based on a story by Trachtenberg.

Audience and critic responses to the first screening emphasized the film’s departures from earlier franchise installments. Common praise focused on inventive...