Primate Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Primate Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 10, 2026

There's been a lot of stabs at making Horror as scary as it can be, with writers and filmmakers turning to the extraordinary and the ordinary alike to do the deed. Filmmakers have turned to unstoppable masked men, larger than life mutations, aliens, and even clowns and trucks to scare audiences, but one of the most effective Horror antagonists has been everyday animals. From genre classics like Cujo to more contemporary films like Crawl, animals-as-antagonists have served the screen well. That trend continues with Writer/Direcotr Johannes Roberts' Primate, a film inspired by Cujo that pits a bunch of teenagers against a violent, rabid chimp. Viewers will never look at a chimp at the zoo the same again.

Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) is returning home to Hawaii where she reconnects with her father Adam (Troy Kotsur), a deaf, world-famous author. She also reconnects with her friend Kate (Victoria Wyant), Kate's friend Hannah (Jessica Alexander), her sister Erin (Gia Hunter), and Nick (Benjamin Cheng), a young man she's crushing on. Lucy and her family also cares for Ben, a chimpanzee that has been taught rudimentary communication through a digital tablet. But when Ben kills his caretaker and escapes his cage, he turns on his family and their friends, seeking to do them violent harm. Their only avenue of escape is a cliffside swimming pool -- chimpanzees don't like water -- and to desperately hope that some how, some way, they can subdue Ben, kill him, or somehow get help.

Sometimes the scariest things aren’t the unknown, but the known. And that’s where Writer/Director Johannes Roberts aims to go with Primate. It’s not that everyone has, or knows someone who has, a chimpanzee as a pet, but it’s a familiar animal that most everyone has seen on TV or in a zoo, and there’s usually that playful, docile, friendly demeanor associated with the animal. But like most everything else, there’s potential for a dark side, which Roberts explores in his film. And when a movie begins with a chimp literally ripping a man’ face off, there’s no mistaking who the villain is going to be and what’s in store for the audience. Indeed, this is a dark — tonally and visually — and bloody affair with chills aplenty and legitimate scares to pair with the grotesque violence that is scattered throughout the film. The film will play for both gore hounds and aficionados of atmospheric horror alike.

But the movie is nothing if the antagonist doesn’t feel real, physically and emotionally alike. And Ben does indeed feel very real. One of the things that makes the film truly tick is that Ben is not portrayed by a computer; Miguel Torres Umba dons the suit and brings life to the film’s antagonist, delivering a practical presence on set for the actors to work against but, more than that, a real sense of movement grace and terrifying ferocity. Without Umba’s work, the movie doesn’t work, especially not with what is the film’s major weakness, which is a rather bland human character roster.

Primate Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Primate is curiously a Blu-ray only release, but even limited to 1080p the picture excels beginning to end. The image pushes the Blu-ray format towards its upper limits, delivering an exceptionally crisp and satisfying picture with sharp, high end details and firm, unwavering colors. The image thrives in its ability to deliver perfectly clean and accurate details, especially in the early going where sets are well-lit, but even as the action transitions to the nighttime pool exterior, there's no missing the razor sharp clarity on display. Small details outside around the pool look great, as do the characters themselves. Viewers will see every drop of water running down skin as they bunch up in the pool in search of safety. The Blu-ray is also more than capable of capturing every fine detail on Ben's face and furry body, even in low light. Definition never wavers, even in challenging light. Color output is rock solid as well. Again, the nighttime, poolside exteriors thrive, especially with the pool water contrasting against the darker elements around the periphery. It makes for some dramatic visual contrasts, and the color holds up in every shot. Black levels are crucial to the film, and there is no wavering from a very firm, accurate presentation. Flesh tones look spot-on as well, again regardless of lighting conditions. There is no significant noise to contend with, and the encode appears to be in top shape.

Primate Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Primate beats down on sound systems with a prodigious Dolby Atmos soundtrack. When the track has opportunity for prominent pronouncement, it doesn't fail to deliver. Bass is routinely delivered with high impact depth, delivering the sort of bone-crunching power that seems completely appropriate for a movie of this variety. The track delivers prominent execution in every other area as well, including score and sound effects, letting listeners hear every musical note with perfect clarity to all of the skin-ripping and body-destroying gore effects with cringe-worthy (in a good way) effect. Light atmospherics, vital to supporting the scary quiet scenes, is spot on with excellent location detail and spacial awareness. Surrounds are used to carry music, big effects, and small details alike. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration.

Primate Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Primate contains several extras, including an audio commentary track. No DVD copy is included, but Paramount has bundled in a digital copy code. This release also ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Johannes Roberts and Producer Walter Hamada walk audiences through the film.
• Primal Terror: Directing Primate (1080p, 9:29): Director Roberts discusses origins and inspirations for the film, practical effects, life and work on the set, respecting the Horror genre, and more.
• New Blood: The Faces of Primate (1080p, 10:01): A look at characters and the qualities the cast brought to the film.
• Creating Ben (1080p, 11:00): The importance of using a practical rather than digital antagonist and the process of casting, outfitting, and performing Ben.
• Designing Paradise (1080p, 7:01): Looking at set design and construction for the film, with focus on the primary pool location.

Primate Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Primate isn't wholly original, it's not the scariest movie ever made, and it's not the most violent movie ever made, though it is somewhat original, pretty scary, and certainly violent. And those parts add up to a sum that makes for a solid movie that is going to more than satisfy genre aficionados. Paramount's Blu-ray is really good (though it's something of a surprise that there is no UHD alternative). The video and audio presentations are excellent, and the disc includes a solid array of bonus content. Recommended, especially to genre fans.