“Kraven the Hunter” steps into the bleak shadows of the superhero genre, presenting a protagonist who is neither good nor bad, but rather primal and conflicted. 

J.C. Chandor’s film follows the story of Sergei Kravinoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a man turned into something greater, something superhuman after an almost fatal lion attack while he was on a hunt with his ruthless father. Kraven’s past, along with his newly found abilities, fuels his drive to quench the world of bad men–ironic since his father is actually a drug dealer. 

His quest turns personal when his brother Dimitri Kravinoff, played by Fred Hechinger, gets kidnapped by the Rhino, played by Alessandro Nivola, a long time enemy on Kraven’s kill list. However, as the hunt and rescue intensifies, a deeper betrayal forces him to confront the real predator in his life–his father, Nikolia Kravinoff, played by Russel Crowe.

Kraven himself advocates and fights for good, basically by killing “bad” people; his father, however, is the opposite. His dad is a rich drug dealer with many enemies. Part of what shapes Kraven’s hatred towards his father and his contrasting path was how his father didn’t care for his sick mother. At an early age, Kraven and Dmitri lost their mother, leaving them with Nikolai. 

Kraven’s brother, Dmitri, is a complete contradiction to the rest of the family. Dmitri is shown as a piano player, a good kid with no experience with violence; he is also Nikolai’s “greatest disappointment” because he is nothing like his father. His abduction forced the family to come together; however, Kraven is the only one who stood to the task of actively finding his brother, while their father just existed in the background, sketching plans within plans to rid himself of his enemies.

Although the narrative seemed to have a solid basis–one set for success–the movie ended up being less than worthwhile. The characters, specifically, lacked the dynamics that make a story engaging. Take Calypso, played by Ariana DeBose, for example. The audience was introduced to a little girl who just so happened to be a part of a line of ancient potion-making masters. We have no true backstory about who Calypso is as a person besides that she was given a magic potion that cured Kraven and gave him superhuman abilities.

As for the villains, The Rhino was overhyped throughout the movie considering how little he contributed to the movie’s story. Furthermore, he was built up as this terrifying villain with genetically modified, bulletproof skin that could stop bullets and shatter metal. The trailers and marketing made The Rhino feels like a central character in the movie, but his presence in the movie was a cameo on steroids, considering that there was only one brief fight scene between the Rhino and Kraven.

Disappointingly, the movie ends with Dmitri becoming the Chameleon, a meta-human with the ability to change his appearance at will. Dmitri attained his abilities through a DNA mutation that was directed by the same doctor who foresaw Rhino’s mutation. However many sources, including the IMDb, stated that “Kraven the Hunter” will not officially be seeing a part two, which isn’t surprising because while “Kraven the Hunter” attempts to explore themes of violence and redemption, it ultimately feels primal and conflicted, much like its protagonist. Chandors version of Kraven lacks depth of direction, leaving viewers with a film that, despite its potential , struggles to leave a lasting impression.