Primate

Primate was a compelling watch. The incorporation of sign language added a distinctive and thoughtful dimension to the film, enriching both the storytelling and character dynamics. I appreciated how the narrative subtly normalized nontraditional family structures without making it feel forced. While marketed with horror elements, the film leans more toward suspense, relying on tension rather than pure fright. The gore was effective without being excessive. Overall, it’s worth a watch.

Primate kicks off the horror season of 2026 with a slasher film that attempts to differentiate itself through its antagonist: a chimpanzee. The idea immediately grabs attention and, on its own, arouses curiosity, especially among fans of the genre who are looking for something out of the ordinary. Still, despite this unusual choice, the film follows almost to the letter the formulas and clichés that horror has been repeating for decades. The result is a feature film that works as quick and straightforward entertainment, but is unlikely to leave a lasting mark beyond its curious **** is a film that fulfills the basics of horror entertainment, but does not go much beyond that. It is sustained by its pace, its claustrophobic setting, and, above all, the curiosity of seeing a chimpanzee as the villain. Ideas about the conflict between the primitive and domestication, as well as the theme of rage, exist, but are never explored in depth. The film prefers to shock with its visuals and rely on the immediate appeal of the **** fans of the genre, it is a valid, quick, and straightforward experience. For those looking for something more inventive or memorable, The Ape will probably be remembered more for the chimpanzee's face than for the story it tries to tell. It is a functional slasher film, but stuck in its own formulas: effective in the moment, forgettable afterward.

I didn’t like all that giddy teenage carrying on in the beginning, with all the lame and shallow characters to add to the annoying cliche that we see in every other horror picture. That was painful to sit through! Once the ball got rolling and things started happening it was worth the watch. As for the Chimp catching rabies? I find myself wondering why if someone was keeping an animal like that on their property why it wouldn’t be vaccinated to prevent something like this from happening?? I dunno. I live in Ontario Canada! What the hell do I know about keeping a chimp?! Mind you, I’ve known a few chumps but that’s another kettle of fish!

Primate is an uninspired, hackneyed slasher movie about a group of young college-aged girls and a few college-aged boys who party at one of the girl’s father’s mansion while he’s at a book-signing event as he is a famous author. The girl, her sister and her father own a chimpanzee. The chimpanzee gets rabies and somehow instead of simply making him more aggressive, he becomes a maniacal sociopath, methodically killing each of the teenagers. It is ineffective at being scary, and actually is more unintentionally humorous than frightening.

The only good thing about 'Primate' is the creature: a great combination of makeup and Miguel Torres Umba's convincing performance. The rest is your typical slasher film in which a group of horny young people are killed off one by one. The lack of a proper story, other narrative devices to make it stand out, and characters who have anything to do besides dying make it the first truly bad horror film of the year.