Kraven the Hunter is an R-rated superhero film produced by Sony, part of the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU), released on December 13, 2024 and currently available on Netflix since March 2025.
The film is directed by J.C. Chandor, with a screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk. The project marks the first leading role of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as SergeiKravinoff – aka Kraven, alongside Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola and Christopher Abbott.
The content begins with Kraven being imprisoned in a Siberian prison camp, from which he escapes in a superheroic way, then returns to live in seclusion in Siberia. The film then flashes back 16 years to the childhoods of Sergei and his younger brother Dmitri under the strict rule of their mafia tycoon father, Nikolai, played by Crowe.
On a hunting trip in Africa, Sergei is attacked by a lion, then revived by a mysterious serum (through the hands of the character Calypso) and the lion's blood, which gives him superhuman strength and intuition.
Kraven then becomes an anti-hero who hunts down criminals, especially those who kill wildlife or harm the environment. However, when his younger brother Dmitri is kidnapped by a criminal gang led by Rhino (Nivola), Kraven is forced to join the violent battle to save Dmitri and confront his own father.
The performance received mixed reviews. AaronTaylor-Johnson was praised for his eye-catching action scenes and Kraven's inner suffering, but his acting sometimes lacked depth. RussellCrowe made a strong impression with his majesty and ruthlessness as a cruel mafia father. ArianaDeBose as Calypso had little screen time, and was considered by many critics to be forgotten, although her role had an important spiritual element.
The film's cinematic style is quite R-rated violent, with many obvious bloody scenes and diverse action developments in many different locations such as forests, streets, and cities. Camera angles and CGI techniques support the wild atmosphere, although some segments were criticized as unnatural.
Reception from audiences and experts was not very positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film achieved only 15% positive reviews from critics, but audiences often rated it at around 72%. On IMDb, the average rating is 5.5/10. CinemaScore measures a C, indicating that most audiences were not really satisfied.
The financial performance was disappointing: the film only grossed $62 million worldwide, while the production budget was up to $110–130 million, leaving Sony with a heavy loss and the possibility of continuing to produce other films in the SSU is not high.
In short, Kraven the Hunter is a unique anti-hero film with wild colors, strong dialogue and killing action; but criticized for its disjointed content, lack of depth in the script and unimpressive effects. The performances of Taylor‑Johnson and Crowe are rare bright spots, while the rest like DeBose and the supporting characters lack room to express themselves. If you love R-rated violence and shady superhero characters, the film is still worth checking out, but don't expect a masterpiece of superhero cinema.
