'Predator: Killer of Killers' Review: Predator Anthology Film is a Bloody, Violent Animated Spectacle
I've probably said this countless times, but I love how every IP out here is getting that hyperstylized CG update thanks to Spider-Verse. I also adore that Dan Trachtenberg is with the Predator franchise right now thanks to the success of the reboot, Prey (which you fools sent to Hulu instead of a big screen where it belongs). This is his home now. Don't wake him. Then the upcoming Predator-centric Badlands is getting sent to theaters later on. But before all that, his secret project, Predator: Killer of Killers, brings the murderous trophy-hunting aliens to life in an animated anthology. And by God, it is the best Predator movie ever made. Hell, it's the best animated feature I've seen this year.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Hulu
MPA Rating: R (strong bloody violence, some gore and language.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Production Companies: 20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment, The Third Floor, Inc., Lawrence Gordon Productions
Distributor: Hulu
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Writer: Micho Robert Rutare
Cast: Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Three warriors throughout history face off against a Predator that has, as usual, come to Earth to kill for sport and eliminate the strongest warrior. First is Ursa, (Lindsay LaVanchy) a Viking warrior seeking retribution while bringing along her teenage son; then Kenji, (Louis Ozawa Changchien) a ninja facing his samurai brother years after they battled as children; and finally Torres (Rick Gonzalez), a scrappy WWII ensign who must take out a Predator spaceship on his own when his troops are down. Unfortunately, every survival results in a deadly consequence.
Predator takes the animation medium down like a champ.
I can only assume that Dan Trachtenberg, post-Prey, spent a whole weekend binge-watching Love, Death & Robots and Arcane on Netflix. Killer of Killers channels the sophistication and style of the aforementioned series to achieve its higher ambitions. Trachtenberg and co-director Joshua Wassung adapt Prey’s successful character-driven narrative into three "what-if " matchup scenarios. "The Shield," "The Sword," and "The Bullet" condense what would be full movies into 15-minute or so segments. Each is beautifully realized, packed with poignant emotion and visceral, gory animated action in every frame. Even viewed as standalone shorts in the vein of Love, Death & Robots or Star Wars: Visions, they do more for Predator's appeal as a series than Fox ever managed pre-Disney buyout. Trachtenberg, Wassung, and writer Micho Robert Rutare take full advantage of the animation, exploring distinct action genres while letting expressive character animation and breathtaking action direction speak for itself.
To its detriment, Killer of Killers peaks at the second entry, "The Sword," which tells a poignant tale of two brothers, a ninja and a samurai, divided by their patriarchal father, where the arrival of a Predator is a metaphor for their generational trauma. That's not to say the other chapters are bad by any means, but they are sevens compared to a ten. The pieces come together to form a bigger picture that, at last, brings fresh excitement to the worldbuilding of the franchise, and it's incredibly satisfying to watch.
The Third Floor, I wasn’t aware of your game.
VFX studio The Third Floor impresses with the exquisite animation of Killer of Killers, their inaugural fully animated film. Each uniquely stylized Predator is as striking as it is terrifying, making all the live-action versions look like a weakling by comparison. The CG character models are textured with watercolor brushes, and the motion stylistically transitions between full and half-frame rates. Moreover, 2D animated graphics complete other visual effects like blood and gore and explosions.
It reminds me of Arcane, and while it clearly did not have the same high budget — sometimes the half-frame-rate movement is choppy and awkward — it never becomes jarring or detracts from the adrenaline rush of the action. It's all still a stunning cavalcade of animation brilliance that left me foaming at the mouth.
The action scenes are where Killer of Killers comes to life. Each sequence is insanely intense, bloody, and thrilling, offering viewers a visual feast that should be viewed on a large screen. SIGH!
This should’ve been on a big screen, damn it!
If I had a nickel for every time I've gotten pissed at a cinematic, majestic Predator movie released on fucking Hulu, I'd have two nickels. I get it, two Predator movies in theaters within the same year would've been a wild gamble. But in a month when the biggest blockbusters are a John Wick spin-off and How to Train Your Dragon in live-action, there's no reason for Killer of Killers not to get a theatrical release. I was so mad I had to watch this at home, glued to my widescreen TV, hooting and hollering, I looked for every viable option to have seen this in a theater. Thankfully I live in NYC, and it played at the Tribeca Film Festival, so I went. It played phenomenally as the crowd was cheering and reacting audibly to every gory, blood-drenched sequence.
Killer of Killers should’ve gotten a theatrical release with 3D and 4DX options. I would've gone back multiple times to witness this in every format. While some may argue that it works better on streaming given its anthology structure, my rebuttal would be the current release of Mike Flanigan's Life of Chuck, another anthology film stitched together as one cohesive narrative, that was theatrically released. No friggin' excuses! Oh well. I am glad that I was able to experience its epicness in a theater, just like Prey. I hope one day Disney reconsiders.
Final Statement
Predator: Killer of Killers is a stunning, blood-soaked package that capitalizes on its new animation format with exceptional animation, storytelling, world expansion, and gloriously gory action direction.
