Primate – Film Review
Reviewed by Harris Dang on the 22nd of January 2026
Paramount Pictures Australia presents a film by Johannes Roberts
Written by Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera
Produced by Walter Hamada, John Hodges, and Bradley Pilz
Starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Gia Hunter, Victoria Wyant, Benjamin Cheng
Cinematography Stephen Murphy
Edited by Peter Gvozdas
Music by Adrian Johnston
Rating: MA15+
Running Time: 89 minutes
Release Date: the 22nd of January 2026
Primate is about Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) who is returning home to Hawaii after spending years away finding herself. With her doting little sister Erin (Gia Hunter), her best friend Kate (Victoria Wyant), her unrequited crush Nick (Benjamin Cheng), and her estranged frenemy [sic] Hannah (Jessica Alexander) in tow, they plan to party at Lucy’s home while her father Adam (Troy Kotsur), a deaf novelist, is away on his book tour.
The intrepid group are having fun and are surprised by Lucy’s adopted chimpanzee, Ben. Little do they know Ben has been attacked by a rabid animal. He starts exhibiting symptoms of rabies that later cause him to become violent. With his unhinged state, things turn lethal for our intrepid heroes. They soon realise they are in for a long night and the fight of their lives.
Primate is the latest film from director Johannes Roberts, who is best known for making mid-budget horror films. He first gained surprise success with his shark film, 47 Metres Down (2017). He has continued that path with 47 Metres Down: Uncaged (2019), The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018), and V/H/S/99 (2022). After struggling with the franchise reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), he returns to the creature feature genre in what could be his best film to date.
With this premise, Roberts understands the importance of retaining the essentials of a dramatic premise. He resists subverting it or having pretensions of higher thematic resonance. He knows the film is not illuminating the human condition or using trauma as a metaphor (in which many horror films seem to be doing nowadays). Instead, he knows Primate is a B-movie, which means high-concept, mid-budget, all-genre fun.
The characterisations are as thin as the lean, 89-minute runtime. Meanwhile, the performances sufficiently deliver much-needed sympathy, camaraderie, and the shock the film requires. Jessica Alexander stands out as the group’s antagonist. Regarding exposition, it is executed with ruthless efficiency. Characters state who they are and how they fit into the plot. For example, Lucy and Erin greet each other by saying they are sisters out loud, just so the audience knows. It is awkward and patronising to be told in such a manner. However, it is undeniably funny and charming in its blunt B-movie way so Roberts and his frequent screenwriter, Ernest Rivera, can dig into the good stuff.
Speaking of the good stuff, Roberts and Rivera demonstrate once again why their prior creature-feature films have been successful with audiences and horror critics. Firstly, they achieve a level of suspense and violent catharsis that is enjoyably mean-spirited. Secondly, the impact in its implementation of gore achieves a level of shock that is genuine and not just for shock value. Thirdly, the prevalent use of practical effects (by Millennium FX) over CGI is amazingly effective. They are primarily created through a mix of animatronics, suit capture (worn by movement specialist Miguel Torres Umba), and special effect touches.
Finally, the dark humour in human desperation and the stereotypical characterisations prevalent in horror storytelling provide plenty of laughs. A notable scene where Ben intimidates a party crasher (played amazingly by Charlie Mann) highlights the divide between animal and man and blurs the lines between horror and comedy beautifully too. A scene of exposition involving a text message conversation between Adam and a lab scientist is played so bluntly that a sarcastic line delivers the comedic punch that succinctly lays down the gravity of the situation.
There are woefully contrived moments, such as how the wildly rabid Ben moves silently like a ninja, and frustratingly inept character decisions (or inaction). A scene where a character lies still while someone distracts Ben is one example. These goofy contrivances pay off in a satisfying way that culminates in gratifying moments, including a mano a mano confrontation between man and primate.
Primate is one of Johannes Roberts’ best films to date. It is a satisfying creature feature that delivers the monkey business audiences expect with all the lashings of blood, rabid animal aggression, and B-movie fun, without ever chimping [sic] on the gore. Recommended.
Summary: Primate is one of Johannes Roberts’ best films to date. It is a satisfying creature feature that delivers the monkey business audiences expect with all the lashings of blood, rabid animal aggression, and B-movie fun, without ever chimping [sic] on the gore.
3.5
Recommended
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