Primate Review: A Killer Chimp, Claustrophobic Fear, And Slick Survival Horror

Primate

Releasing on 23rd January, 2026

Cast: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander. Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Miguel Torres Umba & more

Directed by: Johannes Roberts

Written by: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)

Before even getting into anything else, one question immediately punches you in the face while watching Primate. Who in their right mind keeps a chimpanzee as a pet. It is a thought that hits early and refuses to leave. The film does answer it, but you still find yourself circling back to that disbelief again and again. A pet chimpanzee feels like a terrible idea, and Johannes Roberts directed horror thriller Primate almost functions as a textbook lesson explaining why.

The setup itself is enough to pull you in. The bigger question, however, remains whether the film delivers on its promise of thrills and chills. Primate aims to scare, unsettle, and entertain in equal measure. The ride is lean, focused, and mostly effective. Let us get into it.

Rabies as the Real Villain

Before the story even begins, Primate greets its audience with a chilling informational warning disguised as a statutory note. It explains hydrophobia and how it later came to be known as rabies. The most unsettling detail is that if rabies is not treated within forty eight hours, there is no cure. That single fact does a lot of heavy lifting. It immediately raises the stakes and quietly prepares you for the chaos to follow.

It is a smart narrative choice because it grounds the horror in something real. Rabies is not a fictional curse or a made up virus. It exists. It kills. That sense of inevitability lingers throughout the film and gives the animal horror a sharper edge.

The Reunion That Sets Everything in Motion

The story follows Lucy, played by Johnny Sequoyah, who boards a flight to reunite with her family after being away for a long time. She is headed to meet her sister Erin, her deaf and mute father Adam, and to revisit a life she seems to have kept at arm’s length. Lucy is accompanied by her best friend Kate, played by Victoria Wyant, who she shares a deeply comfortable bond with.

Things get complicated when Kate also brings along Hannah, a somewhat snobbish presence played by Jessica Alexander. Upon landing, the group is picked up by Nick, Kate’s brother and Lucy’s obvious crush. Almost immediately, they learn that Lucy and Erin’s father will be away for the weekend. This conveniently leaves them with a lavish hilltop villa complete with an infinity pool and no parental supervision. Naturally, plans for partying and reckless fun take over.

Meet Ben, the Most Unsettling Housemate

As the group settles into the villa, reunions unfold, relationships are rekindled, and the atmosphere remains light for a while. That is when we meet Ben, the family’s pet chimpanzee. Ben is surprisingly friendly, almost affectionate, and treated like a member of the household. The Pinborough family sees him as a living reminder of their late mother, who originally brought him into their lives.

It feels strange but not immediately alarming. The discomfort creeps in slowly. What the characters do not know, but the audience does, is that Ben has contracted rabies after an encounter with a mongoose. The ticking clock has already begun. From this point onward, Primate becomes a waiting game. Who will survive and who will not becomes the central tension driving the rest of the film.

Johannes Roberts and the Art of Contained Chaos

Crafting a horror thriller that largely unfolds within a single location is never easy. It is even harder when the threat is a creature that audiences may not instinctively fear. Johannes Roberts, who co wrote the screenplay with Ernest Riera, approaches this challenge with surprising restraint and precision.

The film is slick, tightly edited, and never overstays its welcome. Once things spiral out of control, the tension escalates quickly. Roberts handles the action with confidence, ensuring that fear, urgency, and unpredictability remain consistent. The choreography of chaos feels deliberate rather than random, which keeps the viewer invested.

Where the Film Falters Visually and Tonally

As effective as the creature work is, Primate does stumble in certain visual aspects. The pool sequences are particularly weak. The artificial night sky and overly obvious CGI backgrounds make it painfully clear that the characters are surrounded by visual effects rather than real environments. The illusion breaks, and the tension suffers because of it.

Another issue lies in the chimp’s behavior during a few kill sequences. At times, Ben appears snarky or teasing, almost as if he is consciously taunting his victims. While this may have been an intentional attempt to suggest intelligence or vengeance, it feels slightly off. Watching a chimp adopt villain like traits toward its owners becomes unsettling in a way that distracts rather than scares.

Ambition Versus Payoff

Primate’s biggest limitation is its struggle to fully commit to one tone. Horror thrillers of this nature often walk a fine line. Either they shock you with something wildly unexpected or they fully embrace their absurdity and become thrilling fun rides. Primate occasionally leans into both directions but never fully settles.

This results in moments where the film overpromises and slightly under delivers. Some internal character tensions are introduced but never fully explored. Emotional payoffs land well for a couple of characters but feel underdeveloped for others. Still, the film manages to remain engaging enough to keep you watching.

Kills, Chaos, and Character Stakes

No horror thriller is complete without deaths, and Primate delivers its share. Because the film revolves around a relatively small group of primary characters, the responsibility lies in making each kill feel earned rather than mechanical. For the most part, the film succeeds.

The kills are anticipated but not dull. They are organic, unsettling, and often brutal enough to satisfy fans of gory thrillers. The screenplay follows a logical progression of events that builds steadily toward its climax. This sense of narrative discipline helps maintain engagement even when the outcome feels inevitable.

Miguel Torres Umba deserves special mention for his physical performance as Ben before the CGI enhancement. His movement, posture, and physicality convincingly sell the chimp’s presence. The creature remains consistently threatening, unpredictable, and frightening, which is no small feat.

Final Verdict

Despite its visible shortcomings, Primate manages to work where it matters most. At its core, it understands what a horror thriller is expected to deliver and sticks to that promise without unnecessary detours. The film moves at a brisk pace, rarely allowing the tension to settle for too long, and ensures that each sequence pushes the story forward rather than padding it out. In a genre where sluggish middle portions often dull the impact, this sense of momentum works strongly in its favour.

The performances also play a quiet but important role in keeping the film engaging. The actors approach their characters with enough sincerity to make the danger feel real, even when the situation itself borders on the outrageous. This helps the audience invest emotionally, especially once the stakes rise and survival becomes uncertain. The creature work, too, remains consistently effective, sustaining a level of menace that keeps viewers on edge through most of the runtime.

While Primate does not attempt to reinvent the horror playbook, it never feels lazy or careless. It embraces familiar genre beats but executes them with a level of discipline that makes the experience enjoyable rather than predictable. The scares may not linger long after the credits roll, but they land well in the moment, which is often what counts the most in a tightly packed thriller.

Ultimately, it succeeds by knowing its limits. It does not chase grand statements or genre defining twists. Instead, it focuses on delivering a lean, tense, and entertaining ride that holds your attention from start to finish. For viewers seeking a compact horror experience that values suspense and momentum, that sense of clarity is more than enough.