(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
The sci-fi action movie Predator: Badlands is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (starring Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally with Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Predator: Badlands is directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg, director of the films 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey previously, the upcoming Predator: Killer of Killers animated movie, episodes of Black Mirror and The Boys, plus many other shorts. The screenplay is written by Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison. Based on characters created by Jim Thomas & John Thomas. Produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O’Connor. (courtesy First Showing)
Much as I love sci-fi, I am a wimp if the sci-fi in question comes with a metric ton of horror woven into its storytelling DNA.
This is why, for DECADES, I avoid the Alien and Predator franchises until a decade-plus housemate, convinced me, along with watching The Walking Dead, to give them a shot; and you know what? Scary, yes but brillantly told stories that hooked me simply because, for all their blockbuster bombast, there was enough humanity and thoughtful baked into the narrative to make them capture and hold my attention.
Fast forward a number of years and in 2022, the movie Prey, part of the Predator franchise, emerged as one of the best, more humanistically grounded movies of the year for me and many others and I realised, along with watching the Alien movies, that here was grade-A storytelling I ignored at my movie watching peril.
Thankfully I have learnt my lesson and you can guarantee I will be near the top of line, popcorn in hand and not a blanket to hide under to be found, when Predator: Badlands opens 6 November in Australia and 7 November in U.S.