The Predator universe was infused with new life following the release of the surprise hit “Prey” in 2022. The franchise kicked off in 1987 with “Predator”, a sci-fi action feature that remains one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s very best films. Since then there have been a number of sequels, spin-offs, and crossovers of varying degrees of quality. But director Dan Trachtenberg offered a new take on the franchise with “Prey” and since has been given the keys to the series.

Trachtenberg has a standalone movie coming out in November titled “Predator: Badlands”. But in October of last year, it was revealed he had made a secret film that was set for release between “Prey” and “Badlands”. That movie is “Predator: Killer of Killers”, an adult animated anthology(ish) film co-directed by Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung. Releasing as a Hulu Original, “Killer of Killers” puts a fresh spin on Predator, similar to what “Into the Spider-Verse” did for Spider-Man movies. And it sets the standard for animation’s potential in future Predator projects.

Built upon an action-fueled script by screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare and extraordinary visuals from the animation studio The Third Floor, “Killer of Killers” takes us through centuries and across cultures in telling the stories of three warriors. The three – a Viking raider, a ninja assassin, and a World War II pilot – fight their battles at dramatically different points on Earth’s timeline. While they all could be considered killers, they also have something else in common. Each encounter a technologically advanced alien predator who turns these warriors into prey.

The first chapter is titled “The Shield” and is set in 841 AD. It follows Ersa (Lindsay LaVanchy), a Scandinavian Valkyrie who leads her son Anders (Damien C. Haas) on a quest for revenge against a brutal chieftain. The second chapter titled “The Sword” takes place in 1629 feudal Japan where a ninja assassin (Louis Ozawa) confronts his shogun brother who now leads their family’s clan. And the third chapter, “The Bullet” sees a young man from Florida named John Torres (Rick Gonzalez) drafted to the military during World War II.

Rutare’s script does a nice job introducing and defining each character, stumbling only with some shaky dialogue in “The Bullet”. Each story is distinctly compelling in its own way, exploring such themes as vengeance, trauma, and generational cycles of violence. But franchise fans needn’t worry. Each story is action-packed with brutal fight sequences often playing out through stunningly choreographed set pieces. They’re fittingly and unabashedly bloody and each alien predator is uniquely menacing.

Most surprising is the unexpected yet satisfying way Trachtenberg, Wassung, and Rutare brings the three stories together. It’s best you see it for yourself, but just know it involves an unanticipated turn that sets up the film’s big finish. And it’s capped off with a killer final shot that has intriguing implications for past and future movies, especially with Trachtenberg at the helm of the franchise (for the time being).

“Predator: Killer of Killers” is arriving with very little attention, but it’s a movie worthy of some buzz, especially for anyone interested in the Predator universe. The inventive story and savvy storytelling work hand-in-hand with the many rousing action sequences. And it’s all enhanced by a visually captivating art style that does justice to the time periods and cultures as well as the brutally violent Predator world. “Predator: Killer of Killers” premieres June 6th on Hulu.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS