After the success of Prey, the seventh film in the Predator universe, Dan Trachtenberg took the reins of the franchise centred around the alien hunter. In the latest instalment of the film series, the director takes viewers on an animated journey through time and space, following the footsteps of humankind’s greatest warriors.
Predator: Killer of Killers consists of three stories. The first one, set in snowy Scandinavia, covers the fate of Ursa, a Viking warrior on a path of revenge. In the second, we move to feudal Japan, following two estranged samurai brothers, Kenji and Kiyoshi. The third tale allows us to witness the struggle of a young Allied pilot, John Torres, during the turmoils of World War II.
The ending that ties the three stories together makes Killer of Killers seem less like a standalone movie and more like a prelude to the upcoming film from the universe, Predator: Badlands, set to premiere in November 2025.
I must confess that Predator is one of my favourite film series. When I started watching the classic flick from 1987, I wasn’t expecting much more than a cheesy slasher. What I got was a true gem of an action movie – a tale that was simple yet engaging, skillfully shot and directed, with quite impressive practical effects.
What’s more, the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led Predator is surprisingly (although probably unintentionally) hilarious. It mirrors all the obsessions of movies from the Reagan Era, filling almost every frame with buff, sweaty guys delivering silly one-liners, while wielding gigantic guns.
When it comes to the rest of the franchise, I had a lot of fun with both the more serious entries, like Predators (totally unfairly panned by fans), and the silliest ones, such as Alien vs. Predator, a film so carefree and absurd that it’s charming. The universe is creatively ridiculous and often campy – both goofy and cool at the same time.
Sadly, Killer of Killers lacks almost anything I enjoy about the Predator franchise.
From the opening scene, Trachtenberg tries to create bigger-than-life characters, convincing us that they’re going through heartbreaking tragedies. But what good is that when all three tales are a pack of clichés that Hollywood has been rehashing for decades? The stories of Ursa, the samurais and Torres are painfully predictable from start to finish and lack creativity.
Instead of subverting tropes and playing with viewers’ expectations, adding maybe just a splash of camp and satire, Trachtenberg sticks to the most obvious and dull solutions, making the Killer of Killers plot resemble one generated by Chat GPT. The film sorely lacks imagination, especially in comparison to the best contemporary adult animated series.
Arcane, Invincible, and (speaking of feudal Japan) Blue Eye Samurai are violent and entertaining, but at the same time, they tell compelling, visually splendid stories of complex protagonists. Sure, these series have more time for character development than a movie, but passion can make up for a lot. However, Killer of Killers feels weirdly soulless.
Of all three stories featured in the animated anthology, the third one, set during World War II, is the most interesting. Trachtenberg sneaks in a bit of humour here and there, and what’s more, he takes the clash with the Predator into the skies. Once Torres and other Allied pilots engage in a shootout with an alien hidden in a space fighter, the film finally gets a much-needed breath of fresh air.
The epilogue also delivered some promise, in which we leave Earth to take a look at what appears to be the Predators’ home planet. In the finale, Trachtenberg once again injects some comedy and even gives devoted fans a wink.
Visually, the animation is good, but not groundbreaking. The action sequences are dynamic, with a decent amount of blood and gore to satisfy the needs of Predator fans. The samurai story is also worth appreciating for its diverse battle scenes and use of various Japanese weapons.
If you’re a fan of the Predator franchise and miss the iconic villain, you may want to give Killer of Killers a try. However, don’t get your hopes too high.
The film has solid action scenes, but the stories are unsurprising and don’t bring much new to the universe. I can’t really pick out any memorable (or memeable, for that matter) scenes, and I doubt that there will be any one-liners that will stick in your mind for years.
If you haven’t seen any of the Predator films before or are simply not a fan of the series, you can give Killer of Killers a miss. After all, there are plenty more compelling animations out there.
Predator: Killer of Killers is available for streaming on 6 June 2025. If you’re in the UK, you can watch it on Disney+ where subscriptions start at £4.99 per month. Those in America can stream the movie on Hulu – you can sign up for just $9.99 per month for an ad-supported tier.
