Something’s wrong with Ben.
Something’s wrong with Ben.
Directed by Johannes Roberts, Primate channels a style of horror that feels both old‑school and unexpectedly fresh, setting the stage for a tense survival‑horror experience. With its stripped‑down approach and commitment to practical effects, the film plays like a throwback creature feature that thrives on its bleak and unsettling atmosphere. Its simple yet intriguing premise unfolds with slow‑burn confidence, gradually ratcheting the tension and creating a sense that things have already slipped beyond human control. As far as January horror releases go, Primate is a solid kickoff to 2026.
The film follows college student Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), who returns to her family’s sleek cliffside estate in Hawaii with friends Kate (Victoria Wyant) and Hannah (Jessica Alexander). Waiting at home are her sister Erin (Gia Hunter), their father Adam (Troy Kotsur), and Ben (Miguel Torres Umba), the family’s intelligent pet chimpanzee. When Ben is bitten and begins showing signs of unpredictable violence, their once-idyllic home quickly becomes a trap, leaving the group isolated and fighting to survive a creature they once trusted.
With a steady pace and a tight 90‑minute runtime, Primate’s sense of danger feels real as soon as the first hints of trouble surface. The pressure ramps up as Ben is bitten by a wild mongoose, and the fact that rabies is virtually nonexistent in Hawaii makes his condition feel even more ominous. Once Ben snaps, the glass house quickly turns into a claustrophobic hunting ground, blending well‑timed humour with classic horror tropes.
The film nods to Cujo and Halloween (1978), featuring a nerve-racking closet scene and a few Michael Myers‑style moments where Ben gets back up after taking heavy blows. While a couple of early plot threads are left hanging and the cause of Ben’s condition is never fully explained, the film makes up for it with sharply executed suspense sequences and eerie shots where the chimp lurks just out of focus.
The performances across the board are strong, grounding the film even when the characters themselves don’t always inspire the emotional investment they could. Johnny Sequoyah brings real weight to Lucy, and she fully sells the terror as things start to spiral. Troy Kotsur delivers a steady presence as Adam, and the instances where his deafness leaves him unaware of the violence happening around him create some of the film’s most gripping moments. Miguel Torres Umba stands out as Ben, using his physicality to make the chimp feel truly alive and unpredictable. At times, you almost forget there’s an actor in the suit. While some character decisions feel questionable and certain arcs are thin, the cast’s commitment keeps the stakes believable.
What truly elevates Primate is its use of practical effects, a refreshing choice in a genre now crowded with glossy CGI. The kills are brutal and cleverly staged, giving each attack scene a raw impact that feels earned rather than gratuitous. The gore is used sparingly but hits hard when it does appear, and the film’s rougher, less‑polished aesthetic heightens the dread and the fun. Visually, the movie excels at building atmosphere, using its tropical setting, moody lighting, and smart framing to amplify the sense of isolation and the emotional weight of Ben’s transformation into something unrecognizable. Tying it all together is a synth‑driven score that channels the spirit of classic ‘80s John Carpenter, the kind of beating soundtrack that signals something terrible is coming.
Primate is exactly the kind of creature‑feature that begs to be watched with friends in a dark, crowded theatre. The pulse-pounding score, sharp bursts of horror, and touches of humour work in unison to keep horror fans fully engaged. It may not break new ground, but it confidently plays to the genre’s strengths.
