I just walked out of the theater and honestly, my hands are still a little clammy. I went into 'Primate' expecting a silly creature feature, but Johannes Roberts actually managed to get under my skin. That chimp, Ben... there's something so deeply unsettling about seeing a beloved pet turn into pure, rabid menace. I keep thinking about the pool setting—how something meant for fun became this terrifying, inescapable trap. It's a simple premise, but the execution left me genuinely tense. I'm definitely checking my backyard twice tonight.
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What's Primate About?
The movie is about Lucy, home from college, who reunites with her family and their pet chimpanzee, Ben. During a pool party, Ben contracts rabies and turns violently aggressive. Lucy and her friends find themselves trapped in and around the pool, forced to barricade themselves and devise desperate ways to survive the night against this once-friendly, now vicious primate. It's a classic siege horror setup with a very specific, furry threat.
What Works in Primate
- ✓ The premise is brilliantly simple and effective. A rabid chimp in a backyard pool area creates immediate, claustrophobic stakes that had me hooked from the start.
- ✓ Johnny Sequoyah as Lucy is a fantastic final girl. Her performance felt raw and panicked, not just screaming but actually thinking through survival.
- ✓ The sound design is phenomenal. The chimp's guttural growls and rabies-induced clicks were genuinely chilling and used sparingly for maximum impact.
- ✓ The 89-minute runtime is perfect. It doesn't overstay its welcome; it's a tight, relentless sprint of tension from the incident onward.
What Doesn't Work
- ✗ Some of the friend characters felt a bit like horror movie cannon fodder. Their decisions occasionally made me groan more than gasp.
- ✗ The CGI on the chimp in a few wide shots was a bit obvious and took me out of the moment briefly.
- ✗ The third act relies on a couple of familiar horror tropes that felt predictable compared to the fresh setup.
Standout Moments & Performances
There's a scene early on, right after Ben turns, where he's just staring at the group from the other side of the pool glass door. The lighting is perfect—you see this familiar shape, but the eyes are all wrong. It made my blood run cold. Later, a character tries to reason with Ben, using a familiar command, and the chimp's reaction—this horrible mimicry of its old behavior—was heartbreaking and terrifying. And I won't spoil it, but there's a moment involving the pool filter that had our entire theater collectively gasp and then laugh from sheer nerves.
Main Cast: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter
Direction, Music & Visuals
Johannes Roberts knows how to shoot tension. The cinematography uses the blue of the pool water and the night lights to create this eerie, beautiful, yet deadly atmosphere. The camera often stays at ground level, making Ben feel more threatening. Troy Kotsur, as Lucy's father, gives a performance full of silent, gut-wrenching desperation—you feel his love for Ben and his horror at what's happening. The score is minimal, which works; it's the absence of music and the focus on real, panicked breathing and animalistic sounds that sells the fear. Jessica Alexander and Victoria Wyant also do solid work selling the group's escalating panic.
Director: Johannes Roberts
Who Should Watch Primate?
If you're a horror fan who appreciates a simple, high-concept premise executed with genuine tension, this is for you. It's perfect for viewers who loved the trapped energy of movies like 'The Shallows' or 'Crawl'. Also, if you have a soft spot for well-made, B-movie creature features that take their threat seriously, you'll have a blast. Go with a friend you don't mind grabbing onto during the jumpy parts.
Who Might Want to Skip?
If you're squeamish about animal violence (even against a rabid one), steer clear. Also, if you need deep character backstories or complex plots, this isn't that movie. It's a straightforward survival thriller.
Final Verdict
I had a really good time with 'Primate'. It delivered exactly what I wanted from a January horror release: effective scares, a unique monster, and a runtime that respects my time. It's not going to redefine the genre, but it's a sharply made, genuinely tense ride. I'd definitely recommend it for a fun, scary night out at the movies. Would I watch it again? Probably not alone, but I'd happily rewatch it with a group to see their reactions to those key, brutal moments.
