Apes may be swinging through a golden patch on the screen, but we’re used to humans getting a look in. From Kong’s chest-beating to the rising kingdoms of the Planet of the Apes, modern simian cinema tends to offer us a shred of hope. Well, that stops with Primate. Johannes Roberts’s latest horror is a deliciously gruesome, slick, and menacing horror which turns a chimpanzee from family member to savage killer, with sharp intelligence and fast-twitch muscle fibre that won’t be reasoned with.
After a long time on the mainland, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) is heading home to Hawaii with friend Kate (Victoria Wyant), and, unexpectedly, rival Hannah (Jessica Alexander). When they meet Lucy’s old friend Nick (Benjamin Cheng), it looks like endless pool parties are on the horizon, especially while Lucy’s author dad (Troy Kotsur) is away. First, though, Lucy has to patch up with her sister Erin (Gia Hunter) and Ben (Miguel Torres Umba), the chimpanzee who’s become one of the family.
It doesn’t take long for Ben to start exhibiting strange behaviour, and even less time for the group to find themselves under siege from the crazed primate. Somehow, their best friend is showing all the signs of rabies on an island where the virus shouldn’t exist.
A group of young adults, a luxurious pad, and an unrepentant slasher. There are many parts of Primate that horror fans will find familiar. But co-writer and director Roberts infuses the terror with impressive touches that make it feel like a warm hug, even when the flesh starts to rip.
Yes, first off, Primate has some solid gore. Faces are removed, skin slashed, and hair torn out by a nimble and powerful opponent with no inhibition. Mostly confined to an impressive multistory house on a Hawaiian cliff edge, this reign of terror makes the most of its vertical location, with sliding glass doors and narrow staircases perfect for a simian threat that can come from any direction.
The only safe place is the water, with a cliffside pool providing the nerve-jangling focus of the film’s second act. Roberts has form with aquatic horror (2017’s 47 Meters Down), and the watery haven from the patrolling killer chimp offers an unexpected nod back to shark-infested waters. Primate’s horror influences don’t end there—hints of John Carpenter, Stephen King (1983’s Cujo is a given), Steven Spielberg’s creature features, and distinctly ’90s scares run through its crisply filmed domestic terror.
The water-based scenes, where shimmering highlights ripple as dark eyes sparkle in the shadows, showcase Stephen Murphy’s stunning cinematography. Along with excellent sound design, it supports the impressive practical and visual effects that let Torres Umba’s incredible performance shift through the antagonist’s different sides. Primate is riddled with suspenseful moments where the chimp crouches and waits before unleashing as a cannonball of rage. But its major success is in Ben’s transformation.
Rabies is a death sentence that alters its host. With the opening explanation of the virus (AKA hydrophobia), we’re set up for a ‘when’ not an ‘if.’ The idea of someone not being who they were is a horror staple, but Primate finds a fresh slant. Don’t expect too many answers to how Ben became infected; the focus is on family.
While Primate’s human characters are lightly sketched, universally strong performances ensure they remain likeable. Sequoyah’s Lucy is the emotional core—the linchpin keeping the unit together during the rollercoaster fight for survival. As Lucy and Erin’s father, Kotsur doesn’t just add weight, but also brings warmth and comedy. The CODA aspect is neatly woven into the family unit, and it’s great to see in a horror film. While the use of American Sign Language foreshadows some interactions with Ben, as with much of the film, it’s best not to assume how things will go. Like its antagonist, Primate revels in flipping things.
For all of its punchy and well-judged runtime, Primate hits on primal fears with menace and laughs with success. It barely drops a beat in wringing surprising, inventive and edge-of-the-seat scenes from its simple premise. Threats drawn from nature may just be set for a terrifying resurgence.
Primate will be released in UK & Irish Cinemas on 30 January.
