Believe the hype: 'Primate' rips
Paramount
Many people, myself included, don’t especially want to watch the parts of a movie where a rabid chimp does just about every bad thing that a rabid chimp can do to different parts of the human head. Yet even the squeamish have to recognize the difference between terribly made, desensitizing gore and well executed horror, and “Primate” absolutely qualifies as the latter.
On the one hand, never mind the set-up to the plot, in which a group of friends (including Johnny Sequoyah, Jess Alexander, Benjamin Cheng and Victoria Wyant) hangs in Hawaii at a family home (Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur of “CODA” has a small role as the dad). On the other, “Primate” does a better-than-usual job establishing its characters and performances before Ben (played very effectively by actor Miguel Torres Umba in a chimp costume, yes, really) gets bitten by a mongoose and no longer behaves like the lovable family pet who’s also been part of scientific testing for years. From then on: The only test is who can survive this very hairy serial killer, which might sound stupid if not for the filmmaking skill that helps this B-movie earn its rating.
Apparently director/co-writer Johannes Roberts has helmed both “47 Meters Down” movies and a “Strangers” sequel and a “Resident Evil” sequel there. The way he builds suspense and moves the camera in numerous dark, unsettling sequences almost make me want to catch up with his past work. The gruesome “Primate” has a leanness that maybe doesn’t quite maintain impact even at less than 90 minutes, but it’s also the kind of movie that simply qualifies as, well, if you like this sort of thing, you’ll be glad you came. And if you think you won’t, you’re right.
B
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