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Kraven the Hunter

Kraven the Hunter

Villains aren't born. They're made.

2024127 minRMidcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Director
J.C. Chandor
Starring
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola

Kraven Kravinoff's complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Kraven the Hunter?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Kraven the Hunter streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Kraven the Hunter?

Kraven the Hunter earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Kraven the Hunter worth watching?

Kraven the Hunter's Midcredits score is the 23rd percentile of all films, from 377K ratings across 6 sources. 33% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

23rd percentile

Better received than 23% of films

36th percentile among Action24th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)21st
Approval (how many liked it)27th

52 /100

21st percentile of all films

34th percentile among Action24th percentile among 2020s

Critics 35 · Audience 53

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.7 — solid but not unanimous.

33% liked it

27th percentile of all films

41st percentile among Action29th percentile among 2020s
33% rated it 7–1067% rated it 1–6

Critics 15% · Audience 72%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 5 noms overall

95th percentile

376K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$110M
Opening weekend$11M
Domestic gross$25M
Worldwide gross$62M

Returned 0.6× its budget — 80th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Kraven the Hunter is a violent, messy, and derivative action movie that wastes most of its cast on a weak script.

Fans praised

  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson's committed physical performance
  • brutal R-rated action sequences with inventive kills
  • entertaining dumb-fun popcorn movie

Detractors panned

  • incoherent, clichéd script and rushed storytelling
  • poor CGI, especially animals and Rhino
  • wooden supporting performances (Ariana DeBose, ADR issues)

What stands out

Cinematography45

some striking shots and slickness, but often undermined by poor effects

ActingDivisive40

ATJ praised for physicality and commitment; most supporting actors panned as wooden or miscast

Effects and spectacleDivisive30

visceral gore and practical stunts praised; CGI animals and Rhino widely ridiculed

PacingDivisive30

slow start, rushed second half; feels overlong

Plot and storyDivisive25

disjointed, formulaic origin story with predictable twists

CharactersDivisive20

underwritten, shallow archetypes with clichéd daddy issues

Dialogue15

cringey, clunky, and AI-sounding; terrible ADR

Originality15

generic superhero tropes, derivative of many earlier films

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Kraven the Hunter like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its violent vigilante origin story with utter seriousness, despite clunky dialogue and execution.
The rideThe synopsis describes a near-constant state of violent conflict, family pressure, and high-stakes action, with weight distributed evenly across the runtime.
StructureThe film opens mid-action in a Siberian prison, then flashes back sixteen years to reveal Kraven's origin before catching up to the present.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's brutal action and family conflict leave a mixed feeling of excitement and melancholy.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeKraven emerges from a near-death encounter with a lion granted animal-like powers, which he then uses to hunt criminals globally, while confronting his father's criminal legacy and his own transformation.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsFamily bondsIdentity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film revolves around Sergei's vigilante crusade to punish criminals he deems beyond the law, while simultaneously grappling with his father's expectations and his own emerging animalistic identity.
StanceThe film questions whether vigilante justice can ever be clean, especially when the hero shares traits with the villains he hunts, all within a crime-ridden society.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Evgueni Galperine
SettingSpans New York, Ghana, London, Russia, and Turkey, moving between criminal empires, prisons, and remote wilderness
MusicThe score likely blends tense orchestral motifs with electronic textures to underline the protagonist's animalistic transformation.

Content guide

Is Kraven the Hunter okay for kids?

R

Kraven the Hunter is rated R: “Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (81/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at intense (77/100). Overall it is heavier than 57% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 39 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • BGC
  • Czechia15+
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary18
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel14
  • Italy14+
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-16
  • PortugalM/14
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK15
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Taiwan15+
  • TH18
  • Türkiye16+
  • UA16+
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 74% of all filmsHeavier than 57% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 66%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 5%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 32%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Kraven the Hunter have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in Kraven the Hunter: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violence

Cast and crew

Who is in Kraven the Hunter?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson
as Sergei Kravinoff
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ariana DeBose
as Calypso Ezili
Fred Hechinger
as Dmitri Kravinoff
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Alessandro Nivola
as Aleksei Sytsevich
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Abbott
as The Foreigner
Russell Crowe
as Nikolai Kravinoff
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yuri Kolokolnikov
as Semyon Chorney
Levi Miller
as Young Sergei
Tom Reed
as Bert
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Billy Barratt
as Young Dmitri

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Kraven the Hunter?

Movies like Kraven the Hunter include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), The Equalizer (2014) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Richard Wenk, and most are superhero films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Kraven the Hunter?

485 other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: sibling rivalry. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.