‘Primate’ Review: A Brutal Creature Thriller That Knows Exactly What It Is

This is a spoiler-free review.

Creature films have long been a staple of the horror genre, built on primal fear and the uneasy tension between hunter and hunted. From the slow, suspense-driven terror of Jaws to the unrelenting threat at the center of Cujo, the genre has returned time and again to stories of survival under siege. Primate, co-written and directed by Johannes Roberts, takes that familiar foundation and turns it on its head, blending creature-feature horror with slasher sensibilities.

From the outset, Primate establishes its tension quickly. At just shy of 90 minutes, the film makes efficient use of its runtime, opening with the arrival of Dr. Doug Lambert, the veterinarian called to the Pinborough home in Hawaii to check on Ben, whose recent behavior suggests something may be off. A routine house call soon gives way to unease the moment Lambert steps into the enclosure. What follows is a bloody glimpse of what Ben is capable of, making it clear something is, in fact, wrong with him.

The narrative then shifts back several days earlier, focusing on Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) as she returns to her family’s secluded Hawaiian home alongside a small group of friends. Beneath the surface, the Pinborough family remains quietly fractured by the loss of their mother. For Lucy, that grief has manifested in distance, pulling her away from home, while her father, Adam (Troy Kotsur), buries himself in his work. Meanwhile, her younger sister Erin (Gia Hunter) shares a close bond with Ben, the chimpanzee brought into the household through their late mother’s linguistics research. Despite this emotional foundation, many of the characters stop short of feeling fully developed, making it difficult to form a meaningful connection with them. Whether intentional or not, that distance is reflected in how some viewers may find themselves unexpectedly rooting for Ben. The one relationship that registers with greater clarity is Lucy’s friendship with Kate (Victoria Wyant), which feels grounded in a way some of the film’s other interpersonal threads—particularly the underdeveloped tension involving Nick (Benjamin Cheng) and Hannah (Jessica Alexander)—never fully achieve. Still, the ensemble does what it can with the material, raising the question of whether a slightly expanded runtime might have allowed these characters more room to breathe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the film’s true standout is its title character. Fully embodied by Miguel Torres Umba in a practical performance, Ben emerges as the project’s most fully realized presence on screen. Director Johannes Roberts makes a clear and intentional commitment to practical effects wherever possible, placing Miguel in a full performance suit that allows the character to evolve both physically and behaviorally over the course of the film. That decision pays dividends in the film’s most suspenseful stretches, grounding Ben’s movements in a tactile realism that deepens the audience’s sense of immersion and, in turn, amplifies the terror. The contrast between Ben’s early moments—playful, curious, and almost disarmingly affectionate—and the far more menacing figure he becomes as the threat escalates proves especially effective. It’s in this shift that Primate most convincingly delivers on its creature-feature promise.

Seen through the proper lens, Primate delivers exactly the kind of creature-feature experience it sets out to be. Roberts does not shy away from brutality; the attacks are sharp, frequently wince-inducing, and often staged with a welcome degree of inventiveness that helps the film stand apart from more routine entries in the genre. One sequence in particular involving Adam (Troy Kotsur) is especially effective. Without giving too much away, Roberts places audiences directly within Adam’s sensory experience, showcasing a confident command of perspective. The characters, however, are occasionally guided by familiar genre logic, making choices that may test viewers’ patience even as the tension continues to mount.

Primate ultimately finds its strongest footing once the action fully closes in around the Pinborough home. Roberts demonstrates a steady command of spatial tension, turning the family’s Hawaiian refuge into increasingly hostile territory. Ben’s stalking of his prey—particularly in and around the pool, one of the creature’s few apparent vulnerabilities—adds a welcome layer of cat-and-mouse suspense that plays directly to the film’s strengths. Primate will likely appeal most to audiences already fond of creature-driven horror; for others, its familiar genre beats may not hit with the same force. Seen in the right light, however, this is a creature thriller best approached with expectations in check—one that rewards viewers willing to embrace its more primal instincts.

Fans of the Creature Genre: ★ ★ ★ ½out of 5

General Audiences: ★ ★ ½out of 5

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures