Primate Proves That in Horror, Communication Can Be Key

The new horror flick Primate turned out to be a decent watch with some key themes to explore 

Paramount Pictures

I ended up seeing Primate by accident. What do I mean by that? I went in on a Mystery Movie Monday  by Regal hoping that it was going to be the new Night Patrol horror movie coming out this month. I even joked that if the film was indeed Primate that I would be walking out immediately. 

I’m here to say that I am glad that I remained sat throughout the entire film. The movie wasn’t mind blowing but it did end up being a decent watch. From the trailer it just appeared to be another silly horror movie about a family who probably had no business having a chimpanzee in their home, but it ended up being full of some laughs, scares, and thematic depths that I came to appreciate. 

How Was the Movie?

Primate is about a college student named Lucy who returns to her home in Hawaii with some friends during a break. Apparently her little sister Erin and her deaf father Troy are surprised to see her because it’s been years since she has been home. Another member of the family, the primate Ben, is surprised but very happy to see her.

It becomes clear that Lucy and her family have quite a financially comfortable life. They live in a huge mansion in Hawaii and have a chimpanzee running around it. Lucy’s late mother was a linguistics scientist that helped teach Ben how to communicate via sign language and a device that can say some words for him. Her deaf father seems to also play a role in his teaching. It’s quite fascinating if I’m being honest.

All is well until Ben contracts rabies and the move turns into Cujo meets Planet of the Apes. Ben becomes sick and viciously attacks Lucy, as well as her family and friends, as they all try to figure out how to get out of this situation alive.  At this point, we see some of the best and worst parts of the film.

Best Parts About the Movie?

Ben is not just a wild animal on the loose; he’s a cold calculated killer:

So, we’ve heard stories about animals going crazy before. Primate takes it a step above by not only having Ben go wild, but also using his intelligence and communication skills to target the victims. It was very much giving Ghostface meets Cesar.

Theme of Communication : 

I loved the overall theme of communication in the film. This held so much significance in the story from Lucy’s family being upset with her not coming around for years to scenes that showed the unique perspectives of those who couldn’t speak (Troy and Ben). Some of Ben’s killing style appeared to be rooted in a  frustration of him not being able to speak like humans. As graphic and horrific as it was, I thought it was a great way to help us think about Ben’s internal demons as the rabies took over him.

Paramount Pictures

Is This Movie for You?

If you’re into animal horror films then Primate is worth checking out. I personally was not a huge fan of it, but I was impressed that it was an overall good watch. 

There’s some really silly moments that were just pointless to me and didn’t make much sense. And if I’m being honest, I do feel that the way in which Ben contracted rabies was a bit off…I would think that such a rich and educated family would have a better way to protect their family chimpanzee from being exposed to t rabies. But what do I know, I don’t have a chimp running around my house speaking sign language.

If you saw Primate please let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!

Paramount Pictures