PRIMATE
(director/writer: Johannes Roberts; screenwriter: Ernest Riera; cinematographer: Stephen Murphy; editor: Peter Gvozdas; music: Adrian Johnstom; cast: Johnny Sequoyah (Lucy), Jess Alexander (Hannah), Troy Kotsur (Adam), Victoria Wyant (Kate), Gia Hunter (Erin), Ben Pronsky (voice-Ben), Benjamin Cheng (Nick), Charlie Mann (Drew), Miguel Torres Umba (Ben, the chimp), Tienne Simon (Brad); Runtime: 89; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Bradley Pilz, Walter Hamada, John Hodges; Paramount Pictures; 2025)
“Technically sound gory creature survival cult B-film.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Brit filmmaker Johannes Roberts (“47 Meters Down”/”Storage 24”) directs and co-writes with Ernest Riera this technically sound gory creature survival cult B-film. It’s about a pet chimp named Ben (Miguel Torres Umba, a Colombian Movement Expert) who when bitten by a rabid mongoose gets rabies and terrorizes a Hawaiian family living in a tropical paradise cliff-side mansion on the coast. Ben’s the pet of the recently deceased family matriarch, a linguistic professor, who adopted the chimp and kept him at home in a cage.
The hearing-impaired successful author widow Adam (Troy Kotsur, noted deaf actor) is away on a book-signing tour when Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), his college student daughter, comes home for the summer break to take care of her younger sister Erin (Gia Hunter).
Lucy’s friends (Jess Alexander, Benjamin Cheng & Victoria Wyant) come over to party with her when the rabid chimp attacks them and kills six of the house guests and the later arriving visitors, ripping the face off one of them. Lucy, an injured Erin and the guests hide in the swimming pool to stay safe because they know chimps can’t swim. But the chimp keeps them trapped there so they can’t escape to call for help.
The loopy story is bloody violent, the dialogue is awful, and the shallow characters are undeveloped. But there are a few uncomfortable funny moments that might make the grim humor more appealing for some viewers like those in the ‘frat boy’ crowd.
It played at the Fantastic Fest.
REVIEWED ON 1/10/2026 GRADE: C+
dennisschwartzreviews.com