Primate Review: A Brutal Chimp Horror That's the Most Fun You'll Have at the Cinema This Year
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Andrew Gaudion
Published January 28, 2026 10:00am
The year 2026 has begun with a gory bang in the horror genre. Just two weeks after Sir Jimmy Crystal and his gang wreaked havoc in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a new contender emerges, ready to claw its way to the crown of bloodiest cinematic offering. His name is Ben. He is a chimpanzee. And there is something terribly wrong with him.
A Family Reunion Turns Deadly
Set against the idyllic shores of Hawaii, Primate follows college student Lucy, portrayed by Johnny Sequoyah, who returns home after several years away following her mother's death. Accompanied by her best friend Kate, played by Victoria Wyant, and her not-so-friendly acquaintance Hannah, portrayed by Jessica Alexander, Lucy aims to reconnect with her younger sister Erin, her deaf best-selling author father, and chimpanzee Ben.
Ben was raised by their scientist mother and taught to communicate via sign language and a handy iPad. However, with Dad heading out on a book tour, the cosy family reunion is postponed, and the girls decide to host a small party. But why is Ben acting so strangely? Could it be related to that pesky mongoose bite he received earlier that day? It doesn't take long for the girls to discover that Ben has taken a sinister turn, with only one thing on his mind: bloody and violent torment.
Director's Expertise in Animal Carnage
Primate comes from director Johannes Roberts, the filmmaker behind the 47 Meters Down shark movies, demonstrating his expertise in portraying animal carnage on screen. While those films felt larger in scope, dealing with open water and CGI sharks, Primate adopts a more contained and practical approach to horror, which significantly enhances its effectiveness.
When a face gets ripped off within the first two minutes, audiences immediately grasp the chaos that awaits. The film establishes a palpable sense of dread during the character setup scenes, building anticipation for when the violent monkey business truly begins.
Key Details of the Film
- Director: Johannes Roberts
- Writers: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera
- Cast: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Miguel Torres Umba
- Runtime: 89 minutes
- Rating: 18
- Release Date: Primate hits UK cinemas from January 30, 2026
Characters and Setting
Although the characters may seem stereotypical on the surface, they are charmingly portrayed by a young cast of up-and-coming talents. This character development ensures that when the mayhem begins, viewers care more about these individuals than typical B-movie horror fare.
The film emphasises the isolation of its characters, with almost all action confined to a single location: a house in the middle of nowhere on a Hawaiian cliffside. While it's a beautiful house with a pool and numerous amenities, all its gadgets prove useless once the primal brutality of a rabies-raged chimp takes control.
Contained Terror and Practical Effects
The film's contained nature and the characters' sense of isolation generate a palpable sense of terror once events spiral out of control. One sustained sequence features characters trapped in a pool while Ben, who cannot swim, stalks the edge, seeking an opportunity to strike. This simple setup creates genuine chilling helplessness, especially after witnessing Ben's capacity for violence.
This approach demonstrates savvy budget management while effectively heightening horror, evoking the efficient spirit of an 80s John Carpenter movie, further emphasised by a Carpenter-esque synth-driven score.
Ben: A Cult Slasher Figure in the Making
Ben is poised to become a cult slasher horror figure, thanks to several key elements. His design and the collaboration between filmmakers and actor Miguel Torres Umba bring him to life with refreshing old-school charm. The 'guy in a suit' approach provides a tactility that even advanced motion-capture struggles to achieve, complemented by expressive puppetry.
While CGI enhances more dynamic moments, it's thrilling to see a lead monster brought to life with such old Hollywood magic. The film surprises with its level of carnage, delivering shocking and gleefully bloody face-ripping violence dialled up to feel more fun than disturbing, eliciting strong reactions from audiences.
Old-School Gore and Gnarly Edge
The film maintains an old-school edge with practical effects, opting for buckets of gore and prosthetics over easier CGI routes, giving it a much gnarlier texture. These thrills and the dedication to making Ben a genuine menace mark Primate as a genre outing that horror fans cannot afford to miss.
It's a gleeful genre experience that revels in both anticipation and splatter, with self-containment heightening horror to a nasty, seat-squirming effect. This combination positions the movie, and Ben himself, as a cult hit in the making.
Verdict
A cult classic in the making, Primate introduces Ben the chimp to horror fans with grisly gore, old-school thrills, and a devilishly gleeful sense of humour. Primate is released in UK cinemas on Friday, January 30.
