Film Critique – Primate (2025)

      Primate, 2025.

      Directed by Johannes Roberts.

      Featuring Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Benjamin Cheng, Gia Hunter, Miguel Torres Umba, Ben Pronsky, Kae Alexander, Tienne Simon, and Charlie Mann.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A group of friends' tropical getaway transforms into a chilling story of horror and survival. It's noteworthy that director Johannes Roberts has previously created shark thrillers and adapted a well-known zombie video game series, as his killer-chimpanzee slasher film, Primate, incorporates aspects of both.

      After hastily introducing the shallow characters and a rabies-infected chimp, along with a somewhat strained family dynamic that Roberts and co-writer Ernest Riera seem to take too seriously in an attempt to elicit an emotional reaction in the climax that ultimately fails, the filmmakers find an unrealistic way to condition these party-loving young adults into a scenario where their only refuge is confining themselves to a swimming pool. This is where family pet Ben (the prologue also mentions the now-deceased mother, a linguistics professor working on an innovative communication breakthrough between humans and primates) is too fearful to jump in, yet remains in the vicinity, waiting to attack anyone who comes near.

      Two observations arise: firstly, it's hard to feel sympathy for a wealthy white family living in a glass house perched on a Hawaiian cliff, engaging in experiments with monkeys, even if the father, played by the wonderfully talented deaf actor Troy Kotsur, portrays a famous novelist who is so consumed by his work that he neglects his family. He is about to do so once again, leaving his home to his daughter Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), her sister, friends, a potential love interest, and a few flight companions they contemplate inviting over for some fun. The second observation is that this film echoes the theme of those shark movies where characters find themselves trapped on a small piece of land, this time flipped with an environmental twist featuring a chimpanzee.

      Regrettably, despite the ingenuity of the outdoor swimming pool setting, surrounded by caves and cliffs, it becomes clear that Johannes Roberts finds himself constrained by the stranding concept, struggling to create reasons for characters to exit the pool or for Ben (menacingly portrayed by Miguel Torres Umba in a suit) to leave the area, often leading characters to wander around the house and make loud noises that attract unwanted attention in the most foolish ways, leaving viewers wishing for their demise. It is also worth mentioning that Adrian Johnston's catchy synthetic score prioritizes volume during tense chase scenes.

      Nonetheless, it's difficult to be too harsh on Primate since it surprisingly delivers where it matters most, featuring some brutal killings that include flesh and body parts being torn away to intense confrontations between humans and Ben. A disabled character is portrayed with respect, with their condition not being exploited as a plot device (mainstream audiences will even have to read ASL subtitles at times), but instead forms the basis of one of the film's most suspenseful sequences. One character also meets a gruesome end when his jaw is completely torn off.

      There is a sense of urgency, danger, and tension, even if the film mainly falters with regard to character development and storytelling. One character is presented as a villain, consistently acting selfishly throughout, even though her proposal to euthanize Ben 15 minutes in, following a sudden behavioral shift, is indeed harsh but ultimately correct, proving to be a necessary decision in the end. This raises questions about the underlying message. Primate is so eager to dive into the horror that Ben's significance and role within this family are never fully established or emotionally impactful, undermining the investment in the survival narrative.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder