Primate

<<

Now Playing

>>

Speaking as a straight-up fan of most things horror, despite this film mainly receiving favourable reviews, I'm not sure I saw it the same way most critics seem to. Horror can be a tricky genre to get right without offering up a bunch of clichés, and this is a title that sports a few of the classic ones, like introducing "too dumb to live" characters, trying to appeal to the bad guy's good side, a seemingly unkillable villain, and a getaway vehicle that doesn't allow one to get away to name a few.

Having said that, those who know me well know that a lot of the time, I welcome horror clichés with open arms, as in some cases, they add to the fun of it all. I'd liken it to a standard roller coaster: people go to have a good time on the ride, but can always expect the same steep hill climb and the same standard drop to get the ride going. Those clichés, however, are best found in older slashers from the 80s, as they add to the corniness of it all. Hell, 'Scream' even sets up standard rules in almost every one of their titles based on these clichés, and those rules are what make that franchise fun.

Getting back to 'Primate' though, I can still credit it for several things I enjoyed about it, and one of those things is the somewhat original idea of the slasher character not being your standard character out for revenge or something supernatural, but quite simply, a chimpanzee named Ben (Miguel Torres Umba) who is raging with rabies. And yes, Ben the chimp, whenever you see him, is either Miguel in a suit, or a practical effect of some sort. While a real chimp would have been impressive, the film still does a good job of using practical effects and keeping the CG to a minimum, which is admirable for the genre.

Story-wise, after spending several years away from her home in Hawaii, Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) heads back, along with her friends Kate (Victoria Wyant) and Nick (Benjamin Cheng), and somewhat to her dismay, Kate's friend, Hannah (Jess Alexander). Upon their arrival, we're brought to a remote home built into the side of a cliff, providing a challenging escape location ripe for a good horror romp. We are then further introduced to Lucy's deaf father, Adam (Troy Kotsur), sister, Erin (Gia Hunter), and eventually Ben.

Much to Hannah's shock, she learns that Ben is the family pet and was primarily raised and trained by Lucy's late mother. Ben is knowledgeable and friendly for the first little bit, but eventually, after Adam leaves for a book signing, he goes feral on account of a rabid-fueled mongoose bite. Before long, Lucy, Erin and their friends find themselves caught up in a night of survival, as Ben seems to want nothing more than to rip them to shreds out of rage. They find themselves safe in the swimming pool, but also know they can't stay there forever, and may very well have to risk their own lives to find help.

While I mentioned that the film has its share of cliché horror moments, I think the film's strengths are its use of practical effects, a good share of tension, and, above all else, its brutal kills that are sure to please gore hounds. One thing I will not deny is that I ended up rooting for Ben like I would Freddy or Jason, just because I wanted to see how creative the next kill would be, each one illustrating the sheer power of the often underestimated chimpanzee, which we usually see as a friendly sidekick type in film.

The one thing I keep coming back to, however, which takes this title down a notch, is the Jordan Peele movie 'Nope.' There is a B side to the whole film involving a chimp who goes "ape" on the set of a TV show, and to me, those scenes left more to the imagination and were much more chilling to watch. Those scenes got inside my head much more than the straight-up gorefest that is 'Primate.' With that being said, however, if you're on the lookout for a bloody romp that harkens back to those classic slashers, I can still see this being a good time, and can still recommend it to the slightly more hardcore fans.

3/5

---