Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) | REVIEW

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg — Screenplay by Micho Robert Rutare.

With 2022’s Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg proved himself capable of shepherding the Predator franchise and steering it in a new and exciting direction. Now, in 2025, Trachtenberg’s next moves with the iconic sci-fi horror action film series are coming our way. This November, his second live-action Predator-film, Predator: Badlands, is set to premiere theatrically, but if you’re jonesing for more Trachtenberg-Predator goodness right now, then you’ll be happy to know that Disney+/Hulu just released a brand new Predator from Trachtenberg that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen from this franchise, given the fact that it is actually a fully animated film. That may not sound like the ideal way to tell these stories, but, in actuality, Trachtenberg has, with Predator: Killer of Killers, used the medium to pull off some genuine wish-fulfillment Predator movie moments that are exactly as out there and as gory as you could possibly like.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Killer of Killers follows three individuals from different eras of history who have all encountered distinct Predator beings and who must eventually come together if they want to survive the perilous predicament they find themselves in on a strange world. The film is presented almost like an anthology film, wherein there are three distinct chapters and, then, ultimately, a concluding fourth chapter where all of the characters come together in ways that I’d rather not spoil.

The first chapter, titled ‘The Shield,’ is set in 841 AD and is essentially a Viking revenge narrative that a hulking Predator interrupts. The second chapter, titled ‘The Sword,’ is set in feudal Japan in the 1600s, features very little dialogue, and is about two brothers confronting each other. The third chapter, titled ‘The Bullet,’ is set in the 1940s and is built around World War II fighter pilot action, during which a Predator ship enters the sky and causes havoc.

For many, animated films stand tall or fall depending on the type of animation and the way the artists use it to tell their story. Make no mistake, this is a bloody and very adult animated film that has the Predators and the various human characters take part in incredible and well-realized action. In fact, I think the action choreography is extremely well-done and in ways that benefit the three chapters’ individual narrative and genre styles. A lot of thought went into pulling off these combat sequences, and it is all very cinematic, with the feudal Japan sequence being the biggest highlight of these. This was, of course, directed by someone who has already made one successful Predator live-action film previously, so it should come as no surprise that the film absolutely nails the iconic imagery of the creatures.

Really, one of my favorite things about it, other than it being a total wish fulfillment Predator fan’s fantasy, is how visually distinct the various Predator beings are here. One is hulking, another uses specific and inventive weaponry, while the pilot alien has this super-specific face. I think making sure that these beings aren’t just carbon copies of each other from film to film will be really key to making the universe grow. On the flip side, I also think that, for many, the stylistic design of the animation will be a stumbling block. Although the character designs and dynamic action are great and cinematic, the somewhat choppy animation style doesn’t work as seamlessly for Predator: Killer of Killers as it does for the Spider-Verse films, but if you can get past that, you’re treated to one of the best Predator films ever made.

7.9 out of 10

– Review written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.