Movie Review: ‘Predator – Killer of Killers’

06/12/2025 by Corrye Van Caeseele-Cook

Plot: The newest edition in the long running Predator franchise, Predator – Killer of Killers, this time takes the animation route. Presented in an anthology format, the film follows the Yautja as they hunt humans across three separate timelines. The first story, set in 841 Scandinavia, centers on Ursa (Lindsay Lavanchy), a Viking warrior who seeks revenge against the warlord who murdered her father. The second takes audiences to 17th century feudal Japan where two brothers, Kenji and Kiyoshi (Louis Ozawa), vie for their samurai father’s throne. The third tale follows WWII fighter pilot Torres (Rick Gonzalez) as he desperately tries to save his squad from a Predator spaceship as it picks off airplanes one by one. All three stories converge in a climactic, action packed, and unexpected fourth segment.

Review: It’s hard to fathom, but in just two short years the Predator franchise will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Predator began an almost incomprehensible three year run for director John McTiernan in 1987 that included both Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October. However, I suspect that not even McTiernan himself could have predicted he was initiating a franchise that would last nearly four decades and encompass six follow-up features. Yet here we are.

Unfortunately, since AH-NULD’s ’87 all-timer, the franchise has varied in quality. It’s ranged the gamut from popcorn escapism (Predator 2, Predators), to disappointment (The Predator), to downright atrocious dreck (AVP: Requiem). It occurred to me that in order for the Predator franchise to regain success, someone needed to come along that not only appreciated the franchise but possessed a clear vision and would take the series in a new direction.

Enter director Dan Trachtenberg.

Trachtenberg’s 2022 film Prey starring Amber Midthunder, not only reinvigorated the franchise, it reminded audiences how great a Predator film could be. Setting Prey in the early 18th century and following a young female Comanche warrior completely flipped the paradigm. It freed Trachtenberg from the lore and canon cage of the franchise, allowing him to tell a dynamic and captivating story that still resonated with the qualities that made the Predator films great. Furthermore, Prey actualized a long hoped for outcome from the franchise’s fans; namely the desire to see the Predator (also known as the Yautja) in a different time period. It was clear the franchise was in good hands and not at all surprising to learn that Trachtenberg had more Predator films lined up at 20th Century Studios.

When the upcoming Predator: Badlands was officially given a release date a few months ago, fans were also shocked to discover that Trachtenberg had filmed a second secret Predator film. Not only that, it was an anthology film and it would follow the Predator across three separate timelines. While in theory this sounded stupendous (the Yautja hunting Vikings in 9th century Scandinavia and samurai in feudal Japan? Are you kidding me?) I was slightly concerned. Acquiescing to fandom doesn’t always work out and you run the risk of a product that reads like fanfic rather than a cohesive story.

Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. Predator – Killer of Killers isn’t simply a rip-roaring, beautifully shot, and wildly entertaining action film, it’s easily the best movie in the franchise since Schwarzenegger proclaimed, “If it bleeds, we can kill it” 38 years ago. Impeccably directed and beautifully rendered by The Third Floor, Inc., Killer of Killers visuals are balanced with a sensational, nuanced, and surprisingly poignant script from Trachtenberg and Micho Robert Ratare. Furthermore, it sports a propulsive and engaging score from acclaimed composer Benjamin Wallfisch that’s on par with Alan Silvestri’s original. Each segment has to resonate with a theme that reflects the time period. Wallfisch accomplishes this with adeptness and artistry.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the phenomenal animation work from The Third Floor, Inc. A pre-viz company that got its start with 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, their work has encompassed everything from RRR to The Jungle Book to Mad Max: Fury Road. Although fans may be disappointed that these stories aren’t live action, the animation provides a sense of stylized violence and visual spectacle that Trachtenberg didn’t believe he could get with live action. I’m in agreement. Predator – Killer of Killers clearly shows influences from both 1988’s Akira and the recent Netflix series Arcane. In fact several Arcane animators contributed to Trachtenberg’s film including Steven J. Meyer. The sequences are truly first rate with Ursa’s battle on the ice with a Yautja and Torres’ aerial dogfights the standouts.

However, what really struck me was how invested I was in each of these stories on an emotional level. When it comes to crafting quality films to me it comes down to first principles. Namely keeping the story and your characters at the forefront of your film. Yes, the Viking action in the first segment “The Shield” is top-notch but it’s bolstered by Ursa’s relationship with her son Anders (Damine Haas). Ursa wants her son to take his place as a Viking warrior but as the story unfolds it becomes patently clearly that her obsession with revenge takes top priority. The consequences are devastating.

Aside from the animation style, the complexity of familial relationships tends to be the through line throughout Predator – Killer of Killers. Whereas “The Shield” focuses on a mother and son relationship, the second segment, “The Sword,” focuses on two brothers in feudal Japan. What’s unique about “The Sword” is how it’s almost entirely devoid of dialogue. Trachtenberg allows the visuals to tell the story of Kenji and Kiyoshi, two estranged brothers who clash after their father passes. The fact that one is a samurai and one is a ninja who eventually team up to take on a Predator, is just frosting on the cake. It is the fraternal dynamic that cuts the deepest and by the end had me tearing up. Never thought I’d say that about a freakin’ Predator film.

The family theme carries over into the third segment, “The Bullet,” which take audiences high above the sky in the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII. Just before young Torres ships out, his father decides to stop bailing him out. He insists that Torres needs to be able to fix his own problems whether they be mechanical or relationship focused. To say Torres learns this lesson in a trial by fire is an understatement. The aerial battle between WWII fighter pilots and a Predator spaceship is truly a sight to see. But again the family theme hits home as Torres attempts to save his adopted brothers of the sky. He’s forced to innovate and fix a problem with no direction and the odds against him. Torres is literally out on a wing trying to find a solution.

Although all three stories are disparate and different in their own ways, the emotional ambiguity of each situation engenders empathy and makes the audience relate and connect to our main characters in unexpected ways. It all culminates in a spectacular final act that I did not see coming and had me thirsting for more.