Content Warning: This story contains mentions of violence.
When the trailer for “Primate” first released, it echoed spoof horror classics like “Scary Movie” and “A Haunted House.” As I walked into the theater, I was prepared to laugh for the next 90 minutes as this movie tried to comically convince me to fear a rabid chimpanzee.
However, that primate proved me wrong.
Directed by Johannes Roberts, “Primate” follows Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), a woman returning home to Hawaii for the first time after her mother died of cancer. Her family includes a “domesticated” chimpanzee named Ben, whom Lucy and her sister Erin (Gia Hunter) have grown up alongside because of their mother’s career as a linguist.
At first, Ben seems like a sweet, intelligent chimpanzee. However, after getting bitten by a mongoose and contracting rabies, Ben terrorizes Lucy, Erin and their friends, leaving them with no way to escape.
Presenting animals as the antagonist is nothing new to the horror genre. With films like “Cujo,” “Jaws” and more recently, “Cocaine Bear,” audiences have feared animals gone wild for decades. While he doesn’t hold a candle to his predecessors, Ben the chimpanzee is a nice addition to the trope.
After Ben is infected, he torments the home’s inhabitants and audiences watching from the comfort of a theater. There were multiple moments where I was covering my eyes, afraid of Ben’s next move.
Albeit in a rabid state, the lengths Ben goes to when murdering those around him are inhumane and grossly uncharacteristic of an animal that was considered part of the family. Men are pushed to their deaths, hair is ripped from scalps and, most frighteningly, faces are ripped in half. Call me dramatic, but I will be wary of chimpanzees for the next few months.
Ben holds a terrifying grip over the audience for most of his screentime, but there were moments when the film tried to push his villain agenda too far, making it seem insignificant.
In one of the final scenes, Ben trades blows with Lucy as she fights to protect her father. I’m no Jane Goodall, but I am pretty sure it is uncommon for chimpanzees to slap people. Moments like this draw the audience out of an otherwise realistic world and cripples the movie’s horror aspect.
Where Ben failed, however, the score picked up the slack. Composer and frequent collaborator of Roberts’ Adrian Johnston wrote a synth-heavy score that added to the suspense and drama of Ben’s unpredictability. Unlike other horror movies, the score was not used solely as a tool to signal impending doom.
In fact, the consistent appearance of the score made the film more volatile and left the audience on the edge of its seats.
While the trailer downplays the serious horror portrayed in “Primate,” it is a must-watch. Ben is nowhere near the ranks of other murderous primates. But the film is fun, camp and gory, which makes it a great horror movie in my books.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Reel Thoughts: Horror film ‘The Long Walk’ draws on gore to keep pace
— Reel Thoughts: Psychological thriller ‘Die My Love’ relies on big names, descends into a fever dream
