Tags:
Film: Primate
Year: 2025
Director: Johannes Roberts
Writer: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera
Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Jess Alexander and Troy Kotsur
Review:
This is a film that I was intrigued by when I learned about it. My buddy Cam asked if I saw the trailer. I missed it, mostly due to avoiding them when I can. I did end up catching part of it ahead of seeing something else in the theater. When checking showtimes, seeing this was coming, I was intrigued since I’m a fan of animal attack films. Other than knowing it would be a chimpanzee, I came into seeing this blind.
Synopsis: Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) reunites with her family including a pet chimp, Ben (Miguel Torres Umba). Ben contracts rabies during a pool party and turns aggressive as Lucy and her friends try to find a way to survive.
We start this with a scene where Drew (Charlie Mann), who is a veterinarian, comes to see Ben. What we’ll learn later is that he was asked to check on the chimp due to him getting bit by a mongoose. We see there is something wrong with the animal, as it viciously attacks Drew.
It then shifts to 36 hours prior. Lucy is finally coming home to Hawaii. She’s joined by her friend, Kate (Victoria Wyant). Lucy is bummed to see that she also invited Hannah (Jessica Alexander). On the flight, these girls meet a couple of guys who are quite annoying if I’m honest.
They arrive in Hawaii and are greeted at the airport by Kate’s brother, Nick (Benjamin Cheng). He is bringing the crew to Lucy’s family home. It is here we meet her father, Adam (Troy Kotsur). What is interesting is that he’s a deaf writer. He is working on a deal which will cause him to leave the next day. It makes Lucy sad, but she hasn’t been home since her mother passed either. This was due to cancer. Lucy also has a sister, Erin (Gia Hunter), who is upset with her.
What I will include here is that the mother was a linguistics professor. Ben was a chimp that they adopted when he was a baby. The reason here was to teach sign language. It worked better than they could have imagined as Ben has learned over 300 words/phrases. He also has a tablet that has more common words. Upon arriving, everything seems to be good as Lucy is stoked to see Ben. The only one he isn’t is Hannah, but Troy reveals that the chimp is nervous around new people.
Everyone was expecting a fun, relaxing weekend with a bit of partying that turned into a nightmare. Ben gets free and traps our group in the swimming pool. The film claims that chimps cannot swim. There is only so long that they can stay in the water. It doesn’t help that they’re up against something as strong and athletic as a chimpanzee. Troy gets news while he’s away, but can help get there before it is too late?
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this went places that I wasn’t fully expecting. I mean that in a good way. There is a great opening sequence with Drew and Ben. It sets the tone for the film which is appreciated. From there I was hooked to see how things would play out.
Now what struck me when leaving the theater is that this feels like Cujo, but with a killer primate. It also is moving the location from the Midwest to beautiful Hawaii. What is interesting there, this house where everything takes place is isolated. We get a drone shot to show us the house is on a cliff. There aren't neighbors close by. The house is also gorgeous. It makes sense, since the father is a successful author. His wife was also a professor/scientist. Sticking with the correlation as well, our group is trapped in a swimming pool instead of a car.
Where I’ll then shift would be having an increased cast from the limited one of the Stephen King property makes it livelier. After the initial attack, we trap the rest of the group, excluding Troy, in the swimming pool. As they try to escape or signal for help, others arrive, including the two men from the plane who were called beforehand. They appear during the chaos. A cat-and-mouse game ensues, with the pool as the sanctuary. Overall, this film successfully established high stakes, making it clear that no one was safe.
I want to explore the chimp, Ben. There is a heart here that he’s part of the family. I love that Lucy brings him a gift. I would also have that constant fear he might go crazy, having heard of things like this in Ohio. This echoes Congo, with a tablet giving Ben a voice when he pushes buttons. The dark comedy this provides was excellent. A minor issue is Troy's mention that Hawaii is rabies-free, which appears true. This remains unexplained but is not necessarily required.
Let’s then shift over to discussing the acting performances. I’ll be honest that I didn’t necessarily love the character interactions of the main group. I’m also older so that could be part of it. I will say that everyone feels like a group of friends. Sequoyah is attractive and resourceful. I’m not sure that we truly get a character arc for her, but she’s good. I do like her rivalry with Alexander. Wyant, Hunter and Cheng round out that group. Mann works as this vet. Credit to Umba who was in the motion suit to bring Ben to life. The acting here works for what was needed.
All that is left then is filmmaking aspects. Overall, this is well-made and efficient. The cinematography and framing effectively established the setting and attack sequences, which helped mask the seams. The CGI for Ben was decent, considering the limitations of not being able to use it for a real one. I particularly loved the brutal practical effects. While the soundtrack borrows heavily from Halloween and Phantasm, it suits the film's needs.
In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised by this. It takes a simple, claustrophobic premise—an animal attack film set around a swimming pool—and executes it with style and efficiency. The film successfully balances genuine scares with a surprisingly emotional core, thanks to Ben's integration into the family dynamic. While the character interactions among the younger cast weren't perfect, the strong visual execution, brutal practical effects, and effective suspense make this a standout entry in the animal attack subgenre. For fans of films like Cujo, this offers a fresh, tropical, and highly tense take on being trapped by a killer creature. I highly recommend checking this one out.
My Rating: 8 out of 10