At a lean 89 minutes, Primate is a solid example of how good practical effects, no-nonsense storytelling and solid makeup can result in legit horror.
Last year was a great year for horror movies, and 2026 is off to a good start with this sufficiently scary, well-made monster movie—and in this case, the monster is a killer chimpanzee.
Ben is your typical captive chimp, wearing a cute shirt and living a sheltered life with an affluent family in Hawaii. He knows a little sign language; he can use a keypad to speak some phrases, and he loves his family. What could possibly go wrong? A lot, as it turns out. Something bites Ben, and just like Cujo in the classic Stephen King tale, Ben goes a little berserk.
Director Johannes Roberts doesn’t waste a whole lot of time on background or getting to know Ben and his buffet of victims. He does just enough to make Ben a genuinely sad example of a once-beloved pal becoming what amounts to Michael Myers from Halloween.
You may think the portrayal of Ben in this movie is the result of CGI motion-capture suits; think again. Ben is a combination of prosthetic makeup and performers in costume suits. There might be some CGI used for augmentation and image cleanup, but Ben is a supreme example of effective, old-school practical effects. When he rips faces off and tears jaws from their skulls, that’s practical effects, too. Color me impressed.
There’s not much plotting here. A couple of sisters, their dad and Ben live in a secluded, high-priced mansion on a cliff, and some folks come over to visit. All are mere offerings to the slasher-killer force Ben becomes. However, Ben can’t swim, and the potential victims take refuge in the family swimming pool in what amounts to the worst pool party ever.
I’ve seen some critics complain that the film was done in just one location, and that Ben might as well be Jason from Friday the 13th, but I don’t see a problem. The single setting (mostly the swimming pool) offers a nice sense of claustrophobia and dread. The fact that Ben might as well be your average slasher icon is but a compliment regarding how scary he is. Yes, this is a slasher movie with a chimp. If you like slasher flicks, and you like seeing a creature go apeshit, you are in for a good time.
The cast is a hodgepodge of likable enough but relatively unknown young actors, with the exception of Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (Coda), who brings a sense of legitimacy to the proceedings as Ben’s loving owner. Kotsur is deaf, and you can bet the film sets up a sequence in which that comes into play. Well done.
For what Primate is, it couldn’t be much better—and I was severely freaked out and uncomfortable for much of its running time. Bravo to that! If you are looking to be scared and can handle the sight of somebody’s face getting ripped off, have at it.
Roberts’ past films include 47 Meters Down and its sequel. I didn’t see the sequel, but the original film is good, with Mandy Moore stuck in a shark cage enduring an unending attack. Primate has a similar trapped, hopeless vibe.
While this is indeed an effective slasher flick, I am not suggesting it needs to be a slasher franchise. Let Primate be a standalone victory. There’s no need to stretch this one out—one and done.
