Primate Review: A Tense Creature Feature That Delivers Bloody Fun
The month of January has often been considered a cinematic dumping ground for horror films, with many releases fading quickly into obscurity. Recent examples like last year's Wolf Man and 2024's Night Swim arrived with little fanfare and departed just as quietly. However, not every film that debuts in this period is doomed to fail. The surprise success of M3GAN and the franchise-reviving fifth Scream instalment prove that quality can shine through regardless of the calendar.
The latest offering, Primate, directed by Johannes Roberts of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City fame, might not spawn viral social media dance trends or guarantee sequels, but it certainly delivers a thrilling and bloody good time at the cinema for fans of the genre.
A Simple Premise with Maximum Tension
The film poses a chilling question: what if the classic rabid animal story, like Cujo, featured a pet chimpanzee instead of a Saint Bernard? This premise unfolds in a stunning, remote Hawaiian coastal home where Ben, the family's beloved chimp, lives with his human companions. The household includes deaf author Adam, portrayed by Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur from CODA, along with his daughters Erin and Lucy, the latter recently returned from college.
When Adam leaves to promote his latest book, Lucy decides to host a party with her friends. The celebration takes a terrifying turn as Ben begins exhibiting alarming behaviour, foaming at the mouth and turning violently aggressive towards those he has known all his life. The normally communicative ape escapes his enclosure, cornering the party guests in the family's swimming pool.
Trapped Between a Rabid Chimp and Certain Death
Complicating their dire situation, the pool backs onto a sheer cliff face, creating a deadly dilemma: face the rabid chimp or risk a fatal fall. This confined setting, reminiscent of films like Blake Lively's The Shallows or the alligator thriller Crawl, heightens the sense of inescapable threat. Roberts employs a similar claustrophobic tension seen in his earlier work, 47 Metres Down.
The group, consisting of Lucy, Erin, Lucy's best friend Kate and her brother Nick, along with Kate's friend Hannah, clings to a pool inflatable to stay afloat and out of Ben's reach. Their predicament worsens when one member suffers a severe bite, requiring urgent medical attention to prevent bleeding out. This urgency forces them to attempt daring escapes from the pool, frantic searches for phones, and tense face-offs with the enraged chimp.
Practical Effects and Snappy Pacing
In a refreshing departure from modern filmmaking trends, Ben is brought to life through a man in a chimp suit enhanced with prosthetics and complex puppetry. While some digital enhancement likely smooths the edges, this practical approach adds a tangible, visceral quality to the experience. Practical effects often translate more convincingly on screen and provide actors with genuine elements to react to, elevating the overall authenticity.
With a runtime under ninety minutes, Primate is perfectly paced for a creature feature, packed with jump scares and relentless tension. One screening attendee's smart watch even alerted her to relax due to a spiking heart rate, underscoring the film's intense atmosphere. Viewers may find themselves shouting at the characters or watching through their fingers as the suspense builds.
A Gory, Charming Horror Experience
This film is not a polished, big-budget blockbuster but rather a rough-around-the-edges horror flick with a relatively unknown cast and a straightforward plot. Yet, these elements contribute to its charm, offering a hell of a good time for those willing to immerse themselves in the chaos. For audiences still embracing a brat summer vibe, there is even a Charli XCX needle drop to anticipate.
Primate delivers exactly what it promises: a snappy, bloody, and thoroughly entertaining scare-fest that proves January horror releases can indeed be worth the trip to the cinema.
