Dan Trachtenberg sure knows how to inject compelling, original storytelling into the Predator universe. After his 2022 standalone, Prey, was a sleeper hit for Hulu, the writer/director returns to this world with another thrilling and refreshing take on this iconic sci-fi character in animated anthology form, with Predator: Killer of Killers. And it’s just excellent entertainment from beginning to end, packed with stunningly executed and brutal action sequences, all while delivering three distinct and enthralling stories that span across time and place on Earth throughout history. It’s just masterful storytelling.
The three short films feature rich world-building and character development in isolation, brought to life via unique paint brush style animation that adds visual gravitas and panache. The stories are then brilliantly tied together in an epic conclusion off-world that delivers engaging new lore to the Predator universe.
Predator: Killer of Killers was not on my 2025 movie bingo card as potentially being one of the best films of the year thus far. But Dan Trachtenberg has proven once again that he is a force to be reckoned with as a filmmaker and steward of decades-old IP. Who knew that the core ingredients to successful franchise filmmaking are: freshness, creativity, authenticity, and execution. I now eagerly anticipate the bright future of Trachtenberg’s Predatorverse.
