Oh, we love a short synopsis. Consider the logline for Johannes Roberts’ upcoming killer ape horror feature: “In ‘Primate,’ a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.” Perfect!
The film is part of a long line of killer ape joints, from classic King Kong efforts to the “Planet of the Apes” franchise (well, arguable, aren’t humans the real baddies there? ponder that), and other features like “Link” and “Congo.” This time around, a bit of a twist: the evil monkey at its heart is first introduced as a gentle member of a human family. But while the clan who have adopted the fuzzy little baby ape sure do love him, Ben seems to have some pent-up aggression toward the group.
While the film’s first trailer lightly obscures what ultimately turns him — having to spend a vaca with a group of screaming young hotties would freak out any being — it does seem as something goes quite amiss on this cursed trip. Suddenly, Ben is big, bad, and very mad, using his tablet of commands and feelings (think: one of those pads dogs step on to signal “hungry” or “walk,” just with a tech bent) to tell his “family” what he really thinks of them. By the time everyone jumps into the pool for safety, because “Ben can’t swim!,” we already know they’re cooked.
The film stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, and Tienne Simon. Roberts is no stranger to horror joints with bite, including two “47 Meters Down” films, “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” and a segment in 2022’s “V/H/S/99.”
While the film won’t be officially released until next year, it’s been screening around at lots of genre festivals, including Fantastic Fest and Beyond Fest, and reviews have been largely positive. Top of mind for most critics? Just how bloody this beast is, with phrases like “chimp violence,” “relentless practical carnage candy,” “gnarly kills,” and “truly jaw-detaching kills” certainly earning our attention.
Paramount Pictures will release “Primate” in theaters on Friday, January 6. Check out the film’s first trailer below.