Let's be honest: I don't really know the difference between monkeys, chimpanzees, apes, and whatever else. It's probably a flaw in my upbringing at some point: they've all been mixed together in some kind of animal kingdom (a Planet of the Apes, so to speak). But what I do know is that they scare me, man. They're too smart. They're too strong. Their eyes look too much like ours.
And Primate definitely amplified that fear. Primate, which had its world premiere as the opening film of this year's Fantastic Fest, is about a chimpanzee (not a monkey) named Ben.
Director: Johannes Roberts
Writers: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts
Stars: Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, Jess Alexander
Ben is sweet, loves teddy bears, wears a red shirt and no pants, and is pretty much the chimpanzee version of Winnie the Pooh... until Ben contracts rabies. And, unfortunately for the family and friends gathered in a beautiful glass house on the edge of a stunning, secluded cliff, they find themselves trapped there with this suddenly rabid and violent animal.
It's a fairly simple horror formula: a chimpanzee contracts rabies, goes berserk, and bloodily stalks the young cast. From the film's opening minutes—a shocking vignette with a jump to the future—the story's direction and tone are quite obvious. But there are also some undeniably unique aspects to Primate that truly elevate the story beyond the typical gorefest (but believe me, it's a pretty glorious gorefest), thanks to a clever script, excellent visual effects, and a captivating family dynamic.
Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) is magnetic as the film's deaf father, a successful author. His role adds an early and well-deserved calm to the film and creates some genuinely dynamic moments between him and his young daughters. The family's long-standing relationship with Ben is understandable and believable (though anyone who willingly lives with a chimpanzee locked in their house is insane, and I maintain that now more than ever). In the Q&A session after the screening, it was mentioned that Kotsur's role wasn't initially written specifically for a deaf character, which seems rather far-fetched; some of the best and most exciting moments in the film are directly related to his disability.
Ben is played by Miguel Torres Umba, a Colombian movement specialist, in combination with impressive special effects work by the British company Millennium FX (the team behind the recent Toxic Avenger suit). Ben is totally believable, likable (at least to me, a guy who left the screening immediately to take his dog out), and genuinely terrifying. There were moments early in the film where I simply couldn't tell: Did they get a real chimpanzee? Is it a computer-generated Gollum? Miguel's performance is truly incredible (cast him in the Planet of the Apes reboot, already!) and makes Ben feel like a legitimate threat.
In his introduction, director Johannes Roberts exclaimed that Primate is "old school!" and indeed, its inspirations are clear: the chimpanzee's brutal attacks mimic various horror monsters, including, yes, The Shape, but also with hints of the velociraptor from the original Jurassic Park. And Roberts, also the director of The Strangers 2: Prey at Night, demonstrates his love for swimming pools (although this time it's an infinity pool). Johnny Sequoyah (Dexter: New Blood) as Lucy is a solid protagonist, and her friends are believable in their panic and good humor in their gory deaths.
But some interesting ideas are hinted at and then quickly discarded. Technology seems to want to play a significant role: the first time you meet the little sister, she's glued to her Nintendo Switch, unable to speak. Is this meant to reflect Ben's reliance on his tablet, which has large buttons he can press to communicate general feelings? And Kotsur, as someone who uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, can tangibly connect with Ben beyond the screen. The young cast needs to call for help, but their phones are in other rooms, which becomes a key plot point. However, the film doesn't dwell on this and focuses instead on the relentless slasher beat as Ben begins eliminating each college student.
It can be a little nauseating; again, you develop genuine sympathy for the chimpanzee early in the film. The shift from loving pet to crazed monster is quite abrupt, and that shock is felt by both the characters and the audience. Still, the kills are brilliant, sloppy, and (literally) awesome.
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