'Primate' [REVIEW]: A Familiar Nightmare With Sharper Teeth

By Klep Napier | Wearecritix.com

Paramount has gone completely apes with its latest horror thriller, Primate, and honestly, that might be the most accurate way to describe this film. From the moment I hit play, I knew exactly what kind of ride I was in for, and I mean that in the best possible way. Directed by Johannes Roberts, Primate leans hard into creature-feature terror and never pretends to be anything other than a gnarly, suspense-filled crowd pleaser.

Before I get into my full thoughts, let’s set the table. Primate first premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2025, a festival known for embracing bold, bloody, and unapologetically wild genre films. It then made its wide U.S. theatrical debut on January 9. The story centers on characters played by Johnny Sequoyah and Jessica Alexander, whose lives spiral into chaos thanks to an unlikely and terrifying antagonist, Ben the chimpanzee. After contracting a rabies-like disease, Ben turns from a household presence into a full-blown nightmare, unleashing havoc on his owners and anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

What initially pulled me in was the marketing. That poster alone does so much heavy lifting. The dark red tones, the shadowy framing, and the ominous presence of the chimp in the corner immediately tell you this is not a family-friendly animal movie. There’s nothing cute or comforting here. It sets the tone perfectly, and even before watching the film, I was already intrigued. Once the movie starts, it slowly reveals its hand, and when it finally does, it becomes clear that Primate is essentially a modern, more brutal reimagining of Cujo, just swapping out the dog for something far more unpredictable.

That comparison is not a knock either. If you know Cujo, you know exactly the kind of tension this film is aiming for. Roberts modernizes the premise, dials up the gore, and leans into the cruelty of the situation. Yes, the plot is familiar. Yes, the characters sometimes make frustrating decisions. But that predictability does not kill the fun. In fact, for horror fans like me, it almost enhances it. You know things are going to go wrong. You just don’t know how violent or chaotic it’s going to get.

[WATCH THE FULL VIDEO REVIEW OF PRIMATE ON CRITIXTV HERE]

And make no mistake, Primate does not pull its punches. The film is gory, mean-spirited in places, and fully committed to the mayhem. Ben goes absolutely apesh, and if you are someone who appreciates practical carnage, intense jump scares, and a relentless sense of danger, this movie delivers. Some of the dialogue leans into genre tropes, and a few moments are undeniably cheesy, but it all works within the framework of what this movie is trying to be. It knows its lane and stays in it.

Johannes Roberts understands exactly what kind of movie he’s making, and he doesn’t pretend otherwise. The direction keeps things moving at a relentless pace, rarely giving the audience a chance to breathe. The tension is sustained not through mystery, but through inevitability. You’re watching characters make bad decisions, yes, but you’re also watching a situation spiral in a way that feels deliberately cruel and unflinching. That commitment is what makes the film effective, even when it’s walking familiar ground.

This is also where fans need to calibrate their expectations. If you’re coming into Primate looking for a reinvention of the genre or a deeply layered psychological horror, this may not be your movie. But if you’re the kind of horror fan who enjoys practical chaos, brutal set pieces, and a creature that feels genuinely dangerous, you’re going to get exactly what you paid for. The film knows its audience, and it never tries to outsmart them or apologize for what it is.

What surprised me most is how well the film plays on the big screen. The jump scares land harder, the violence feels more immediate, and the sound design amplifies the sense of panic and confinement. Even in its predictability, Primate benefits from scale. This is the kind of movie that thrives on audience reaction, gasps, winces, and that nervous laughter that happens when things get just a little too intense.

Ultimately, Primate isn’t trying to rewrite horror history. It’s trying to deliver a visceral experience, and in that regard, it succeeds more often than not. It’s nasty, tense, occasionally ridiculous, and unapologetically committed to its premise. For horror fans who enjoy creature features with teeth and momentum, this is a solid night at the movies.

Primate is currently playing in theaters, and while it will almost certainly find a second life on streaming, this is one film that benefits from being seen loud, dark, and surrounded by an audience ready for the ride.