Badlands Spoke To Me A Lot More Than I Expected

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You know, when I watch a movie, I expect to see it. I don’t expect to be SEEN by it. But that’s the case with the recent Predator: Badlands, as it’s a movie where I truly connected with the protagonist.

Now, I don’t mean in the sense that I felt like I was a Yautja on a dangerous planet out to prove myself. No. I mean in the sense that just like Dek (the predator who we follow in this film – who I TOLD you would be cool) is considered “a runt,” I’m also considered “a runt” of sorts since I’m statistically small, as the average American male height is 5’9”, while I am below average at 5’6”.

So, how did this movie, which we gave a positive review, make me feel? Well, you’re about to find out.

Oh, and spoilers up ahead.

As I Already Mentioned, Like Dek, I’m A Bit Of A Runt

Now, I’ve watched a lot of Predator movies (as in, all of them…and that’s including Killer of Killers), and, one thing that I know with certainty is that if a member (or members) of a Predator Clan come to your home planet, you’re screwed since only the best of the best go down to hunt.

And, that’s the whole conceit of this movie, because what if the Predator who arrives on your planet is NOT considered “the best of the best”? What if he’s considered short and therefore inadequate? Well, that’s pretty much our hero, Dek, in a nutshell. Yes, Dek is fully capable, as he once saved his older brother, Kwei’s, life. But, because of his diminutive size, he’s not seen as being worthy, and is even ordered to be killed by his own father, who is ashamed of how small he is.

And, like, I felt that. Not the part where his father wanted to kill him, but the idea of not feeling worthy due to one’s size. Because it’s funny. Yes, people have mostly refrained from calling people “fat” anymore, but height is still very much on the table as a signifier. For example, sometimes, people will say, “You know. So-in-so. The short one,” when referring to a person, and that’s me. I’m “the short one.”

The thing is, while people might not mean anything negative by it, that’s still how they see you – as “the short one.” Which, you know, doesn’t feel great, but at least you don’t have to die because of some Yautja code. Thank God.

Also Like Dek, I Feel Like I Have To Prove Myself More Often Than Not Due To My Size

I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “Napoleon complex.” It comes from the idea that short people with anger issues are compensating for their short stature by being overly aggressive. Now, when people of average height, or tall people, are aggressive, nobody says that they have “a complex.”

Sure, they might be considered “aggro,” or “a douchebag,” (can I even say that word in 2025? Screw it. I’m saying it. I’m from the ‘90s), but they don’t have a “complex” (by the way, for his time period, Napoleon wasn’t even that short. He was 5’6”, like me. Which was average in his era). Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that I find myself constantly trying to prove myself, sometimes even to my own detriment, which I’ll get into later.

Similarly, Dek also feels like he has to prove himself. When his brother tells him it’s time to pick his prey, Dek chooses the most dangerous planet, and an “unkillable” creature called the Kalisk. This is stupid, and Dek isn’t fully thinking things through since he couldn’t even beat his own older brother, and now he wants to take on an unkillable apex predator? But again, I get it. Since Dek is tired of being considered a runt or “a little guy” (As I sometimes get called), he needs to prove his worth.

And that’s because Dek is at constant war with himself. He needs to prove (to himself, mostly) that he’s not a “runt,” but rather, that his heart is just as big (if not bigger) than somebody else taller than him – and he’ll prove it, even if it might cost him his life.

Sometimes, “Proving Myself” Means I’m Being Foolish, Just Like Dek

In the first Predator movie, to prove that this was one of the toughest Predators in the galaxy, they had him go up against the manliest man on the planet at the time, and that was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, as anybody who has watched the greatest action movie of all time, Commando, can tell you, Arnold was the perfect man for the job. I mean, this was Mr. Universe for Pete’s sake! If you put Dek up against him, Arnold probably wouldn’t have even needed to “get to da choppa!” He could have taken him apart with his bare hands!

What I’m saying is, Arnold was a beast. And, do you know what? When I’m at the gym, I think I’m Arnold. No joke! Whenever I see somebody taller than me lifting heavy weights, I try to match it. And, a lot of the time, I can. But sometimes, I can’t, and…I end up hurting myself. Now, this was more like me in my youth, since I mostly go to the gym now to STAY in shape. Not get INTO shape. But, I think a lot of it goes to my own insecurities about my height (Hey, admitting you have a problem is the first step), and I think Dek has the same issue.

For one thing, as soon as he gets to the deadly planet, Genna, he’s already in over his head. The flora wants to kill him, the fauna wants to kill him, and he is woefully unprepared. In fact, he would have died almost instantly if he hadn’t gotten help from an android named Thia (Elle Fanning).

All of this is to say that shorter men typically have to prove themselves more than taller men, and it might be by foolish means, just like with Dek.

In The End Though, It’s All About Acceptance, Just Like With Dek In This Film

By the end of the film, Dek doesn’t get the trophy he imagined, but he does get a trophy. But what matters most is that by the end of the film, he accepts himself for who he is. I mean, it’s not like he didn’t accept himself in the beginning of the movie, but by the end of it, he doesn’t feel like he has to live within the narrow-mindedness of his tribe anymore.

He has his own tribe by the end, and that’s what matters. He’s grown as a character, if not in stature, which is an important lesson to learn. You have to accept who you are if you ever want to become something more.

This might not be the most apt comparison, but I think a film like The Substance is another movie about acceptance and self-love. Society always makes it seem like there’s “a standard” that we have to live by. But what makes us different is what makes us unique, short stature and all.

Whew. I didn’t think a Predator movie would have such a strong message about body positivity, but here we are. Have you seen Predator: Badlands yet? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.