Less Gore, More Feels: Wait, Is Predator... Wholesome?

A masked hunter with a code, an android with secrets, and a franchise that finally bets on heart over havoc—Predator Badlands surprised us in all the right ways. We dig into why centering the Predator as the protagonist reframes familiar lore, how physical performance and micro-expressions carry emotion without a word of English, and where the film threads in smart world-building that points toward Weyland and the broader Alien universe without relying on cheap cameos.

We unpack the PG-13 debate head-on. Does dialing back gore sap the thrill, or does it sharpen the tension and push the story toward character and choreography? From creative action design to cleaner language and a focus on consequence over shock, we walk through how Badlands stays gripping while expanding who can actually enjoy it. Along the way, we compare it with earlier entries—from the quotable chaos of the Schwarzenegger classic to the tonal left turns of later sequels—and explain why this one’s balance of warmth, suspense, and sci-fi intrigue works.

You’ll hear our take on standout performances, the quiet chemistry between an outcast hunter and a mission-driven synthetic, and the subtle hints that set up what could become a richer crossover trajectory. We also share a simple viewing philosophy: trailers and hot takes are loud; your curiosity is wiser. If a premise pulls you in, give it a shot—you might find a gem where you least expect it.

Enjoy the conversation, then tell us where you land: is a character-first Predator the future you want? If you’re into thoughtful sci-fi action, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review—your notes help more curious listeners find the show.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Theme Song & Host Setup
• 0:50 Pivot From Marathon To New Release
• 2:07 Synopsis And Cast Overview
• 3:16 Predator As Protagonist
• 4:26 Performance, Emotion, And Language
• 5:20 Android Reveal And Weyland Link
• 6:56 PG-13 Rating And Violence Debate
• 8:25 Character-Driven Shift And Future Setup
• 10:13 Ignore Hype, Trust Your Taste
• 11:35 Final Rating And Upcoming Plans

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:09

Press play it's a brand new day with diving deep in the film's all away from classics to the ones you miss Grab is text you get the gist It's cinema Sunday on the couch critics show the story shine and the opinions flowns out the takes the fold we laugh we cry we break the mold It's cinema Sunday let the critics roll Hello everyone and welcome to another cinema Sunday episode of The Couch Critics.

SPEAKER_02: 0:50

I'm your host, Nathan, and on today's episode it's just me, and there's a change in movie. If you follow us on social media, then you know that we are not talking about a predator marathon, which originally that's what I was gonna do. And I actually did watch a couple of the predator movies to prepare for the movie I'm talking about today. I watched Prey, I watched Predator Killer of Killers, which was like an animated movie, which I had never heard of. So I watched that, it was interesting, and of course I watched the original Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I attempted to watch Predator 2, but I fell asleep. And it was funny because when I fell asleep, that movie ended. Then Alien versus Predator began, and I think I slept through that whole thing, and then when I woke up, Alien versus Predator Requiem was on. So that was kind of funny. So I did I did attempt to do a predator marathon, and that's not the reason why I'm not doing one today. It's because me and Thomas are gonna go see another movie that we will be reviewing next week, which would have been the Predator episode, if that makes sense. So today I'm going to be talking about Predator Badlands. This is the newest movie in the Predator franchise. Before I can talk about my likes and dislikes, I have to go over the synipsis.

SPEAKER_01: 2:19

A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

SPEAKER_02: 2:29

Predator Badlands stars Ruben Dejong, Cameron Brown, L. Fanning, and Demetrius Schuster. That guy has a really long name. So I'm just going to call him Demetrius Schuster. So let me just get started by saying the Predator movies have always interested me in the fact that there really never is a strong storyline. Now, this is based on the ones I actually watched. Now, I know Predator Killer for Killers was trying to have somewhat of a storyline leading up to Prey and leading up to the other Predator movies, I guess. But to me, the Predator movies have always been about how ultra violent can we be? Because they're pretty violent. You know, I'm not going to go into details because just in case kids might be watching listening, but it gets pretty violent. And so when this movie was being teased and trailered and all that stuff, the thing that intrigued me the most was that the predator character was the main character in this movie. Usually the predators are like side characters who come in and kill all the main characters. But this one was different. And what made it even more different is that it was not an antagonist, it was the protagonist of the movie. And before I even went to go see this movie, I had already seen reviews, and some people were saying that it was like a woke movie. And of course, me being me, that made me kind of hesitant to go see this movie. But I'm glad I did because I actually thought this movie was pretty good. This movie was a pretty good entry into the franchise of Predator. I I thought the acting was really good. I thought the guy who played the Predator character did a really good job at letting you see the emotions that this character was feeling because he he doesn't speak English in this movie. He speaks an alien language. And so it's all about facial expressions and reactions to other characters that really allow you to know how he's feeling and what he's going through. And you actually feel for this character from the very beginning. There are some movies where, case in point, Tron Ares, where they try to make you feel for the characters from the very start, and you don't because the acting is to replay. But in this movie, they they really do make you feel for these characters right away because the acting isn't to replay. It's very well acted, it's very realistic, it really really makes you feel for these characters. And then you have Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota Fanning, who does a really good job playing, I guess, an android character. Because I did say on all our social medias, but I'm gonna say it again.

SPEAKER_01: 5:36

Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_02: 5:46

Okay, I'm pretty sure that's what this movie is doing. And the reason I think that is because of the company that Al Fanning's uh character comes from is Wayland Corporation. And if you know that, if you know Wayland Corporation, that is from the Alien franchise. And what made the Alien franchise so well known, besides the aliens, is that in every single movie there was an android character of some kind, and so that's what this character is in this movie. She is an android from the Wayland company, is basically what she is. And then you come to find out that there is another one version of her that is trying to complete this mission. But I I mean, I don't want to go too much into this movie, even though I kind of gave you a really big, not a really big spoiler, because if you don't know where the Whaling Corporation is, you wouldn't have realized that this is connected to the Alien franchise. And there are no aliens from that franchise in this movie anyway. So that's possible spoiler, I guess. But other than that, this movie I think was a really fun time. It's a really fun movie to watch in the theaters. A lot of people are harping on the fact that it was rated PG 13 because all the other ones are rated R because, again, of the ultra violence. This movie got away with some of the violence because it was basically happening to robots, and so it wasn't as gruesome as if it was humans and you know there is no blood and all that stuff. So I I think it's I'm not saying take your kids to it, but it's a more safer quote unquote version of a predator movie. So I I I saw nothing wrong with it. There wasn't really much profanity in it, which again, a lot of the predator movies have a lot of violence and a lot of profanity. This movie did not have a lot of violence if you don't count robots getting, you know, their heads cut off and stuff as violence, and it definitely didn't have a lot of profanity in it. I think there might have been one cuss word in the whole movie. So that was that was a a a nice surprise to get from this film. I mean, there's not really anything I didn't like about it. I I I actually really enjoyed this movie. And if you're a fan of the Predator franchise, I would say cautiously go into this because again, it's nothing like any of the other Predator movies, which is one of the reasons why I liked it. Because I I'm I yes, the Honor of Source Negro Predator movie is classic, and it's mostly classic because of the classic lines and stuff, and because of the overly cheesy acting in it, because come on, people, the acting in that movie is not great, and you don't go see that movie for the acting, you you go for it for the action and the explosions, and some might say the ultraviolence of the movie. But this movie, Predator Badlands, is like the complete opposite, it's very character-driven. Again, you care about these characters from the very beginning. It is setting up another movie at the end. Uh, I'm not gonna tell you how, but it's obviously trying to tie things into the Alien franchise, which is interesting because Alien Romulus was another surprise film last year for me. I actually really liked that movie. I thought they did a really good job, again, about making you care about the characters. So I'm really interested to see what they do next. Again, I was very cautiously optimistic about going into this movie because of things I had heard about it, but this is just another example, and this is coming from someone who considers himself somewhat of a movie critic because I'm doing a movie review podcast. But this is another example of how you should never really listen to critics. Go see a movie yourself. If you see the trailer and you're interested in seeing it, go see it, give it a chance because you never know. It might be a surprise hit and it might be a gem for you. So go go see movies that you're interested in seeing. Okay. Don't necessarily listen to this podcast, and that's the reason you go see it. Go see it because you want to. And same thing uh if I ever talk about a movie and I say how terrible it is, like Tron Aries. Don't take my word for it, to quote LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow Fame. Don't take my word for it. Go out and see it if you want to go see it. But Predator Badlands, I thought was a really good movie. I I thought it was a really good time. It there were moments where you didn't feel like you were in a predator movie because of how light-hearted it was that sometimes it was you you just don't expect that in a predator movie. But the characters were fun. There was this really cute character. His face kind of reminded me of a pug, which I I don't know if that was the reason why I thought he was so cute. But it was just a fun movie. It was a fun movie. I didn't eat popcorn, but it is definitely a popcorn flick. So I would give Predator Badlands a 4.5 out of five. I really did enjoy this movie. So those are my thoughts on that. This Tuesday I've missed two movies. So now I'm gonna be doing a triple feature of It Happened on Fifth Avenue, Jumanji, and Last Holiday. So be sure to check that episode out this coming Tuesday, and then next Cinema Sunday, meaning my good friend Thomas are gonna be reviewing a special film. I'm not gonna tell you what it is, I don't even think I'm gonna tell you until the episode drops. But if you want a hint, follow us on all our social media Facebook, Couch Critics, Instagram, Couch Critics, and maybe even TikTok. I don't think we have a TikTok. But thank you for listening to The Couch Critics, where every movie gets its close up.

SPEAKER_00: 12:09

It's been a Sunday with a duck begin.