Primate (2025) Review

 

A remote estate becomes a pressure cooker when a group of women find themselves hunted by a lethal primate, descending their weekend into brutal survival horror.

Directed by Johannes Roberts and written by Roberts and Ernest Riera, Primate leans firmly into slasher territory. It wears its influences openly, with flashes of Cujo (1983), The Shining (1980) in its isolating atmosphere, Halloween (1978) in its stalking rhythms, while structurally it replaces the masked killer with a rampaging ape. There are also shades of aquatic entrapment thrillers like The Pool (2018), 12 Feet Deep (2017) and Night Swim (2024), particularly in its confined set-pieces and tension-driven staging. And a touch of animal communication that was seen in Congo (1995).

Visually, the film impresses. Director of photography Stephen Murphy lights the estate with moody precision, evoking the sleek menace of The Invisible Man (2020) and the nocturnal unease of The Night House (2020). The score by Adrian Johnston is a standout - its synth-driven pulse clearly echoing John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) themes without feeling derivative. The sound design is equally sharp, amplifying every scrape, breath and distant movement to unnerving effect.

Performance-wise, Johnny Sequoyah delivers a memorable turn as Lucy. Victoria Wyant is also notable, while Miguel Torres Umba gives Ben real presence, the character realised convincingly through a blend of practical effects and digital augmentation. The dialogue is solid throughout, and the ensemble commit fully to the escalating carnage.

The gore and special effects are strong and impressive, the kills are particularly brutal, though the film works best in its tense, stalking sequences rather than its broader action beats. It echoes animal-attack predecessors like Monkey Shines (1988), Shakma (1990), Nope (2022) and especially Link (1986), though it lacks the emotional weight of the aforementioned and the likes of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) or The Ape Man (1988). There's even an opportunity missed with a "good ape versus bad ape" dynamic or twist that (it wasn't Ben at all, but a second ape) which might have elevated it beyond straightforward slasher mechanics.

Ultimately, Primate plays as a modern, gorier, sharper riff on the killer-animal template - more slasher horror than psychological exploration. It's worth checking out if you favour brutal creature features, though the on-screen animal 'cruelty' and violence may prove too much for some especially in the closing, which denies it an emotional connection or pay off.