Primate (2026) [Movie Review] — A Bloody Homebound Thriller That Delivers Guilty Pleasures

Johannes Roberts’ Primate is a compact, no-nonsense horror outing that knows its audience: people who come for shocks and practical mayhem will leave satisfied. Clocking in under 90 minutes, the film trades nuance for momentum and offers a memorable creature performance that lifts otherwise thin character beats.

About the Film — What you need to know

Directed and co-written by Johannes Roberts (known for revitalizing familiar genre premises), Primate centers on Ben, the family’s adopted chimp, whose sudden rabies infection transforms a seaside mansion into a claustrophobic killing ground. The cast includes Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Gia Hunter, and a standout physical turn by Miguel Torres Umba as Ben.

Story & Setup — Simple premise, escalating terror

The set-up is deliberately straightforward: Adam (Troy Kotsur), a celebrated author, keeps Ben as a bridge to his deceased partner and the family’s past. When Ben is bitten by a rabid animal, the household — largely occupied by Adam’s daughters and friends — becomes isolated and besieged. Roberts wastes little time moving from exposition to the central contest: terrified humans versus an intelligent, enraged primate. The film’s economy of storytelling is a feature, not a flaw, so long as viewers accept the premise’s thinness.

Performances — Human touch amid the carnage

Troy Kotsur brings authenticity and quiet sorrow to Adam, grounding the film’s emotional core. Johnny Sequoyah anchors the young survivors with a measured, relatable performance. Yet the movie’s real MVP is Ben — Miguel Torres Umba’s physicality, aided by prosthetics and practical effects, conjures an unsettling mix of animal force and flickers of former affection. That ambiguity—Ben as both family member and predator—adds an unexpected poignancy to the proceedings.

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Direction & Technicals — Crafty staging, efficient scares

Roberts and cinematographer Stephen Murphy make effective use of the mansion’s verticality and the cliffside locale. Tight interiors, the pool as both refuge and trap, and clever blocking keep the creature largely out of frame until it’s most devastating. The practical gore is often tactile and inventive, and the editing keeps the pace propulsive. A synth-leaning score recalls classic horror motifs, underscoring the film’s throwback sensibility.

What Works — Pure, visceral entertainment

When Primate leans into its B-movie instincts, it excels. The creature effects and practical stunts are the film’s selling points, delivering real shocks and gruesome set pieces that elicit both cringe and cheer. The movie understands timing and escalation: small scares build into larger, more inventive confrontations, and Roberts stages sequences with an eye for geography and suspense.

What Falters — Thin character work and contrived plotting

Where the film stumbles is in its shallower human drama. Many victims feel like genre fodder rather than fully realized people, and the script leans on contrivances to deliver fresh kill set-pieces. Themes of grief and loss are touched on but not explored, leaving emotional beats that could have given the story more weight. If you’re seeking character complexity or moral ambiguity beyond the spectacle, Primate may disappoint.

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Final Verdict — A well-made, gleefully gory time

Primate isn’t high cinema—and it never pretends to be. It’s an expertly staged, blood-forward creature feature that balances heartbreaking hints of humanity with unapologetic brutality. For viewers looking for a short, efficient horror experience with memorable creature work and practical effects, this is a satisfying pick. For those after deep thematic excavation or richly drawn characters, this one’s best enjoyed as mindless, messy fun—exactly the kind of January horror that gives genre fans what they came for.

Rating: ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)