I can’t recall the last time a feature film made me feel so uncomfortable that I had to turn away. My tolerance for graphic violence isn’t the strongest to begin with, but it’s rare for a movie to make me feel so sick to my stomach—and Primate did exactly that.
Centering on a once-lovable chimp driven mad by rabies, Primate will leave you completely unable to view these animals as anything other than a threat. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer intensity of this film. It’s a creature feature that is so unflinchingly explicit and gruesome that I was searching for a palate cleanser the second the credits rolled. When a movie makes you feel that level of visceral discomfort, you know it truly succeeded.
While the human cast led by Johnny Sequoyah is incredibly effective at selling the stakes, Ben is the undisputed star of the show, and for obvious reasons. He is intensely frightening, and the things he does in this 90-minute film are definitely not for the faint of heart. The tension is also amplified by the movie’s gloomy atmosphere and dark color grading, which makes every scene feel harrowing.
Overall, Primate is a blood-soaked nightmare that wastes no time inflicting terror on its audience. An utterly distressing cinematic experience, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Primate is still playing in Philippine cinemas. If your stomach for gore is on the weaker side, definitely don’t go alone!
