Gareth Gatrell/Paramount
It’s kind of wild that Johannes Roberts’ “Primate” opened in theaters about three months before the release of the predictably overly-sanitized Michael Jackson biopic “Michael.” Roberts’ film, of course, is a silly but enjoyable horror movie about Ben (Miguel Torres Umba), a chimpanzee who gets rabies and begins wrathfully mauling the humans he resides with in a remote house in Hawai’i. Fast-forward to the scenes in “Michael” where the film’s namesake (Jaafar Jackson) is wistfully introducing his pet chimp Bubbles. With a little digital trickery, footage from these movies could be readily combined to show Bubbles suddenly going feral and ripping off people’s jawbones in the Jackson mansion.
That the chimp in “Primate” is named Ben further evokes the titular song that Michael Jackson sang for the 1972 killer rat movie “Ben,” making this comparison that much more apt. It might be time to arrange a “Primate”https://www.slashfilm.com/”Michael” double feature.
If you want bloody ape mayhem, though, then “Primate” is the better bet. A violent, breezy, absurd 89-minute feature (with credits!), “Primate” is one of 2026’s most ridiculous films. It doesn’t shy away from its gore (boasting scenes of forced jaw removal, head smashing, and more), making it the best movie about a bloody ape since 1969’s “Night of the Bloody Apes.” Sure, it has a low budget, and sure, the storytelling is stodgy, but it’s a fine film to watch when you’re hanging with your friends and have already downed your third cocktail.
Indeed, “Primate” may be fulfilling that very function, as it’s the #1 movie in the U.S. on Paramount+ at the moment (via FlixPatrol). Clearly, people are curious about the scary ape movie and appear to be indulging that curiosity now that it’s available for streaming.
Primate was the first chimp-centric movie of 2026
Paramount
“Primate” also features a fine performance by Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur, who has been racking up a few credits since his star turn in “CODA” in 2021. Kotsur has since appeared in the Apple TV series “Foundation,” the miniseries “Black Rabbit,” and the thriller film “In Cold Light.” That makes “Primate” his B-movie turn, and it’s appreciated.
The plot of “Primate” is pretty nonsensical. Ben, as mentioned, is a chimpanzee who lives in Hawai’i with the human family of the late linguistics expert who taught him how to communicate with people by using a custom tablet. Kotsur plays the patriarch, and he and his daughters, Lucy and Erin (Johnny Sequoyah and Gia Hunter), are still mourning Mom’s death. When Lucy returns for an extended stay at the house, she brings her best friend Kate (Victoria Wyant) … who, in turn, brings the caustic Hannah (Jessica Alexander), whom Lucy hates. Kate’s brother Nick (Benjamin Chang) is there, too, but he has so little personality that he may as well be named “Chimpanzee Food.”
Ben, meanwhile, is a cute chimpanzee who wears a t-shirt. However, even though rabies doesn’t exist on Hawai’i (something stated multiple times over the course of “Primate”), a rabid mongoose somehow gets into Ben’s cage, bites him, and kickstarts his violent phase. Chimp attacks begin in earnest while Dad is away and a house party is in full swing.
Oh, yes, and to make sure there are more potential victims, Lucy and the other girls invite over a pair of horny fratboy types (Charlie Mann and Tienne Simon). Naturally, they’re oblivious to what’s going on when they finally show up, at which point Ben’s murder spree is fully underway.
Primate is good, ludicrous fun
Paramount
It didn’t take long for “Primate” to make its way onto Paramount+ following its theatrical debut. Far from it, the movie is tearing up the streamer’s charts (and faces) just under four months later, which isn’t at all unusual these days. Forgive the old-man-who-remembers-the-1990s rant, but in previous generations, a film would play in theaters for longer periods of time, only coming to video stores the following year. The idea was that a movie would be wrung dry at the cinemas, folks would push it to the back of their minds, and then their interest would be renewed by the film’s home media release. That way, movies could remain robust for much longer.
In the 2020s, on the other hand, the system has long since changed. Studios now rush feature films to streaming as quickly as possible, in the hopes of riding their initial popularity in theaters. Either that or to reach all the individuals who elected against catching the movie on the big screen, preferring to wait until it hits Paramount+, Netflix, or some other streaming service of their choice.
Regardless, there is no time of year that is bad for a movie about a killer chimpanzee. The fact that the filmmakers behind “Primate” opted for a live actor bringing a chimp to life primarily via practical means rather than as a CGI character or through a motion-capture performance only strengthens its bloody ape fun. After all, it’s easier to believe a victim’s fear when the killer chimp is actually in the room with them.
“Primate,” as it were, is Miguel Torres Umba’s highest-profile gig to date, and let’s hope his career thrives as a result. You can visit his website to see his credits to date.