Predator: Killer of Killers
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Screenwriter: Micho Robert Rutare
Production Companies: 20th Century Studios; Davis Entertainment; The Third Floor, Inc.; Lawrence Gordon Productions
Distributor: Hulu
Release Date: 6 June 2025
Runtime: 85 minutes
MPA Rating: R
Availability: Hulu
Synopsis
The Predator franchise goes experimental in the animated anthology film Predator: Killer of Killers. The film presents three stories of human vs. Predator (at a specific location and point in time) before culminating in a grand finale. The first story takes place in 9th-century Scandinavia and centers around the revenge-driven Viking warrior Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy); the second takes place during the feudal Japan era and focuses on the ninja outcast Kenji (Louis Ozawa); and the third takes place during WWII, with fighter pilot Torres (Rick Gonzalez) in the lead. Exhilarating and insane action takes place once the Predators enter the fray, and the human characters will need to rely on every tool at their disposal – even luck – if they hope to survive.
Analysis
Killer of Killers standout feature is easily its animation style. The style is pretty unique, featuring CGI models paint-brushed with a colorful palette for added nuance and realism. (The animation is actually pretty similar to The Wild Robot.) But more than being just an aesthetic, the style is very much functional. First, it allows for incredibly unique Predator designs, both in terms of physique and technology used. Second, the animation gives us the bloodiest and most insane Predator on human violence in the franchise’s history. Scenes like a Predator decapitating a human by blasting their body with a sonic cannon while holding their head still, another Predator impaling a human with a staff only to later bisect their body with the click of a button, or another Predator firing a spear from a ship to pierce and pull a pilot out of his airplane, are just a sample of the types of ridiculous action on display here. Simply put, animation gives the film the perfect medium for fully realizing the Predator concept.
The incorporation of specific “fight genres” into the film’s three short stories also helps make the fight scenes incredibly fresh. The movie employs three such genres: Nordic Viking rampage in the first story, ninja standoff in the second, and WWII dogfight in the third. Viewers get fully immersed into these genres at the start of each story; all the action is of the genre and doesn’t involve any predator. Establishing this context early smoothens the transition to the later human vs. Predator fight, while also making the genre feel integral to the battle rather than a simple novelty. And these human vs. Predator fights perfectly fit into their respective genres. The tone and action of the fights, even the designs of the predators, are perfectly aligned with the stories’ settings. For example, the Viking story sports the biggest and most brutal Predator, stealth and precision are the tools of trade for both the Predator and human in the Ninja story, and the WWII dogfight story features a spectacular aerial battle between the human and Predator. You’re essentially getting the Predator franchise’s “take” on several genres: the film retains what makes each genre distinct, but also incorporates heightened Predator conflict to create a unique and entertaining set of stories to watch.
[***SPOILER WARNING FOR THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS; KEY PLOT DETAILS DISCUSSED***]
On the topic of story, I also felt that the movie did an excellent job at personalizing the three human protagonists’ struggles. While we may not get enough time with the characters for them to feel well-rounded, we are given enough material to understand each character’s motivation to fight. These motivations are compelling and easy to sympathize with, and have nothing to do with the Predators. Once the predators are introduced, however, the characters’ stories take a dramatic turn. And at the conclusion of their battles, the humans are changed people, bestowed with the beauty and pain of clarity. You thus get very emotionally invested in each character’s story and have a reason to care about what happens in the finale.
Ironically, the film’s ending was the only element that didn’t land with me. While the first three short stories do an excellent job at getting you emotionally invested heading into the climax, the finale ultimately devolves into a cheap “Avengers, assemble”-esque team up. The movie’s action overall may be ridiculous, but the incredibly dense plot armor the human characters are given in the final act is flat-out egregious. I also couldn’t get on board with how easily the human characters were able to get along, given the incredibly high cultural barriers and stakes they faced. And the sting of this decline in quality is made even worse once it becomes clear that the ending is meant to set up for future Predator content. So, the conclusion felt more like a TV season finale than a definitive movie ending.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Predator: Killer of Killers strongly executes on elements both familiar and new to the franchise to make for fresh and entertaining viewing. The final act may be somewhat of a letdown, but the ending doesn’t detract from the great short stories that preceded it; it even offers cheap thrills. Would highly encourage you to check this movie out when you get the chance, and I’m hopeful that the Predator franchise will continue bringing fresh ideas to the fold.