Dan Trachtenberg's "Predator: Badlands" could be mistaken for a coming-of-age teen drama in space. Rejection, tragedy, doubt, and self-efficacy – it's all here. To completely butcher a Britney Spears song, our Yautja protagonist, Dek (played by newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), is not a boy, not yet a trophy hunter.

Seen as the runt of his clan, Dek has something to prove. He wants to assert himself as a top hunter and be accepted by his father, who is also his chief. As Schuster-Koloamatangi said in a press Q&A, hunting is how the Yautja gain status, much like how humans acquire money on Earth.

The following contains spoilers for "Predator: Badlands."

Dek's older brother Kwei (Mike Homik) harbors a quiet belief in Dek, but he knows the odds are firmly stacked against him. Espe

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