Fantastic Fest 2025 kicked off their opening night with the world premiere of Primate. The film was directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, V/H/S/99), who also wrote the film with Ernest Riera (47 Meters Down, Nowhere). Primate follows a group of college friends going to stay at one of their homes in Hawaii. What begins as an idyllic trip quickly turns deadly when the loving family chimpanzee turns violent, trapping the friends in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Primate is Cujo for modern audiences, turning a beloved animal family member into a crazed, violent monster. Lucy is bringing her friends to her family home in Hawaii while on break from college. Yet Lucy has a very special family member, a chimpanzee named Ben. The film takes time to get to know Lucy, her friends and family, and Ben to better understand the dynamics and the close connection between Lucy and Ben. Unfortunately, Ben was bit by a wild animal with rabies. It turns this once kind natured ape into an angry, fearful creature hellbent on killing anyone and everyone who crosses his path. It’s a relatively simple “when animals attack” setup, yet the unique setting and choice of animal adds a bit more interest. With Ben being an animal so human-like, and because he’s a beloved family member who loves his family back, it makes the ensuing horrors all the more tragic to watch. Primate manages to give edge-of-your-seat terror with shocking violence along the way.

While there’s no denying the intensity of Primate, there is one major plot hole to the film, and that’s where the rabies came from. For those not aware, rabies is not present in Hawaii and anyone bringing animals to the islands must have them go through quarantine and screenings to ensure Hawaii remains rabies free. There’s even a line in the film that references the lack of this illness on the island. In many cases, horror films can get away with not giving in-depth explanations, and often times it’s even preferred that details are left unclear. This is not the case for Primate. There’s a much larger implication with Ben getting rabies in Hawaii that begs the question, how did he get it in a place that is famously rabies free? Because this is never explained, it makes it unclear why the film was set in Hawaii in the first place. If the film had taken place anywhere in the continental United States, the source of the rabies wouldn’t be a plot hole requiring explanation.

Adding to the suspense of Primate is a great cast. Johnny Sequoyah (Dexter: New Blood, Wind Walkers) stars as Lucy. Sequoyah brings emotional depth to this character, conveying a range of emotions. Lucy is already unsettled coming home, dealing with grief, along with tension between some of her companions. When her trip home turns deadly, Lucy is the one who keeps a cool head and takes control to try to save the people she loves. While he doesn’t have any lines in the film, Miguel Torres Umba (Institute) gives a hell of a physical performance as Ben the chimp. Ben has lived with this family his entire life so he likely is a bit more human-like than chimps in the wild. Umba really brings that to the screen, showcasing the dangerous animal Ben is, along with moments of humanity, that ultimately make the character all the more terrifying. Audiences will also enjoy the performances from Victoria Wyant (Foundation), Jessica Alexandra (The Little Mermaid), and Troy Kotsur (CODA).

As mentioned before, Umba played Ben. This is a definite plus for Primate. Instead of using CGI to bring the killer chimp to the big screen, much like what was done with Cujo, the filmmakers opted to create a chimpanzee suit to put a performer in. While there are certainly times in which it’s clear Ben is a man in a chimp suit, this decision gives the film a more timeless look that will appeal to horror fans. It also makes the interactions between Ben and the human characters appear far more dangerous and realistic because the actors didn’t have to act with a tennis ball.

Primate is also a shockingly violent, gory film. When Ben turns deadly, the wounds and kills are gruesome, created with graphic, realistic practical effects. Helping make Ben seem even more maniacal is the use of a device that let’s Ben press buttons to “talk.” At first, it’s sweet as he tells Lucy he missed her. Once the horror begins, this devise makes Ben even more frightening. To add to the tension, the film is set almost entirely in a single, remote location. The house, pool, and surrounding area are spacious and gorgeous, adding some beauty to the film, but being so far away from civilization with a crazed animal on the loose gives a suspenseful, almost claustrophobic feel.

Primate is a white-knuckle throwback to animal attack films of yore, made for modern audiences. Roberts brought to life a thrilling, violent film that manages to make Ben the chimp both sympathetic and terrifying. It features a strong performance from Sequoyah in the lead, as well as a great physical performance from Umba. The decision to rely on practical creature effects and gore gives Primate a more realistic look while also ensuring it will stand the test of time. The film has so much going for it, but the unanswered questions around where the rabies came from makes the film seem incomplete. You can witness Ben on his rampage exclusively in theaters on January 9th.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10