James Whitehead
You may not be aware that a new Predator movie has been released. But don’t feel bad. It’s not entirely your fault. You see, Disney and Fox have once again decided against a theatrical release for the latest instalment in the franchise, with Predator: Killer of Killers going straight to streaming on Disney+ instead.
This is not the first time this has happened, specifically to the director, Dan Trachtenberg, who has made and directed two Predator films for the studio so far that have both ended up going straight to streaming.
His 2022 film, Prey, was a fantastically fresh take on the franchise, giving us a prequel set in 1719 Comanche America. This new time-period created a fresh setting that allowed us to move away from some of the narrative issues in the more recent Predator releases. By stripping back on the technology and backstory it resulted in a beautifully focused tale about this young tribe girl as she attempts to survive this incredibly overpowered threat.
Whilst there was no theatrical release, the film received massive amounts of acclaim and fans have hailed it as the best film in the franchise since the first. The biggest takeaway for many, was the simple yet effective formula of one human being hunted by a predator. No extra nuance or unnecessary backstory about why they hunt or that some Predators are less mean than others (I am looking at you, 2018’s The Predator). It gave audiences what they wanted; brutal deaths, great action and a scary Predator who was a pure threat. Ultimately It proved to be a big backwards step not to give Prey a theatrical release, leaving hundreds of millions in potential box office on the table.
Disney did not want to make the same mistake again, promising Trachtenberg that If he makes another Predator film for them it will receive a theatrical release. Which is what we can look forward to, with his upcoming Predator: Badlands, coming on the 7th of November. Trachtenberg’s reward of a full theatrical release was well-earned, but an interesting side story which came out of these meeting was the greenlight for another, separate, Predator story called “Killer of Killers.” The studio loved his pitch but due to costs the film had to be an animated project. That project has now come to light on Disney+ and I was lucky enough to have a chance to watch Predator: Killer of Killers last night.
To keep this brief, Dan Trachtenberg deserves the proverbial keys to the Predator kingdom. He simply understands what a Predator film should be, animated or not, he is two for two in my eyes and has only ever turned in fantastic films in this franchise. Like his 2022 release Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers is a character study, following three individual stories in different points in time of human encounters with Predators.
The film covers Vikings, Samurais in feudal Japan and an American WW1 pilot. All of this while maintaining a fantastic pace and cohesive storyline. The film has some of the best action and deaths within the franchise, utilising its medium and stretching the narrative possibilities whilst keeping true to the core values of the franchise. Killer of Killers builds off the previous films whilst also giving us a better insight into the Predator lore, still managing to tell us more whilst keeping the Predators as the mysterious and terrifying threat.
From start to finish the films grips you with personal narratives and conflicts that somehow make you forget there is a Predator coming, lulling you into a sense of calm before turning up the heat. Trachtenberg understands to show you just enough to care about our protagonist whilst avoiding the usual pitfalls of bloated dialogue or heavy exposition. In fact, there a very few spoken words throughout the film, yet so much is told through imagery and character’s facial expressions that by the time the classic Predator theme kicks in and you’re ripped from that small story into the larger world of these people being hunted, all the stakes feel real because of the groundwork.
I really cannot fault any aspect of the film, any fan of the Predator franchise or just a fan of good action and storytelling will be able to take so much away from this entry. My only complaint once again falls at the feel for Disney, for not being confident enough to release an adult animated film in theatres. This film may not bring in the same as an Avengers film, but good stories like this should be showed to as wide an audience as possible, rather than a secret bonus for being a subscriber to their streaming service.
That is why I am here to implore you to go and stream Predator: Killer of Killers on Disney+. As always for more updates and news in the world of Predator, be sure to check out the TV and Film section on the Hits Player.
