I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.
Rotten Tomatoes: Fresh
Critics Consensus: That's one bad ape, and Primate is one lean, mean, effective chiller.
| Critics | Score | Number of Reviews | Average Rating (Unofficial) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Critics | 84% | 43 | 6.50/10 |
| Top Critics | 60% | 6 |
Metacritic: N/A (0 Reviews)
Sample Reviews:
Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle 3.5/5 – Johannes Roberts gets two things right: the film is a tight, efficient 89 minutes, just like any B-movie worth its salty popcorn; and a dude's face gets ripped off by the chimp in the first five minutes.
Perri Nemiroff, Perri Nemiroff (YouTube) 4/5 – Practical creature work at its finest, and some top tier gore. Primate is a hugely successful swing-for-the-fences wild time. An excellent start for the horror genre in 2026.
Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle – If you wish that Nope had just doubled-down on the chimp violence, Primate is absolutely the blood-flavored popcorn flick you've been waiting for.
Rocco T. Thompson, Slant Magazine 2/4 – Primate is high-strung in its eagerness to get down to the carnage, so much so that the human story feels almost totally inconsequential.
Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting 3.5/5 – Roberts’ old school techniques, complete with stunning practical effects, and nail-biting suspense, ensure this animal attack feature has real bite.
Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com – Roberts struggles a bit with tone, crafting a single location survival thriller that kind of turns into a slasher movie with a chimp instead of Jason Voorhees.
SYNOPSIS:
In PRIMATE, a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.
CAST:
- Johnny Sequoyah as Lucy
- Jessica Alexander as Hannah
- Victoria Wyant as Kate
- Gia Hunter as Erin
- Benjamin Cheng as Nick
- Charlie Mann as Drew
- Tienne Simon as Phil
- Miguel Torres Umba as Ben
- Troy Kotsur as Adam
DIRECTED BY: Johannes Roberts
SCREENPLAY BY: Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera
PRODUCED BY: Walter Hamada, John Hodges, Bradley Pilz
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Vicki Dee Rock, Nathan Samdahl, Johannes Roberts, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, Andrew Lary
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Murphy
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Simon Bowles
EDITED BY: Peter Gvozdas
COSTUME DESIGNER: Verity Hawkes
MUSIC BY: Adrian Johnston
CASTING BY: Jennifer L. Smith, Tricia Wood
RUNTIME: 89 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 9, 2026
by chanma50