Primate Review

By: Juliana Adams jea74@uakron.edu

The 2026 survival-horror film “Primate” (Rated R) written and directed by Johannes Roberts, guides audiences along an eerie journey with our main character “Lucy” who visits her vacation home with friends in her tropical estate. Once home, she and her friends are greeted with her father, sister, and family Chimpanzee named “Ben,” originally trained by Lucy’s late mother who studied and revolutionized Chimpanzees within the science world, detailing and emphasizing their ability to communicate with humans. We soon find the once playful and intelligent Ben has been bitten by a rabid animal, causing him to develop rabies, and resulting in viscous and violent behavior. Lucy and her friends must fight to survive against their increasingly deranged yet intelligent Chimpanzee, before it’s too late. 

As I was going into this film, I did not have high expectations. I walked into this film hoping for a fun time instead of an intense scare, and I think this film delivered just that. I can confidently identify this to be a fresh twist on the horror genre, and although it was increasingly unrealistic and in some parts quite cliche, it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless. It was fun to guess the directions the film would take. I found it to be quite grisly at some points, and although some parts were irrational or a bit absurd, the experience was enjoyable nonetheless. I conclude that if you are like me, looking for a fun time instead of a thought provoking genuine scare, you will find this experience quite amusing. Although I wouldn’t consider this film revolutionary or groundbreaking by any means, it was still an incredibly fun experience and I recommend this film for anyone interested in a quick thrill. Overall, I would rate this film a ⅖.