Forget just another horror movie. Prepare for a heart-pounding, 89-minute fight for survival against a killer unlike any other . “Primate,” released on January 9, 2026, plunges viewers into a nightmare where a beloved family pet, infected with rabies, becomes the ultimate apex predator . Here’s your ultimate, scene-by-scene guide to every tense moment and gruesome turn in this terrifying creature feature .
From Loved One to Hunter: Ben’s Terrifying Transformation
The horror begins almost immediately, setting a brutal tone for what’s to come. The film opens with a chilling cold-open kill as a veterinarian, Dr. Doug Lambert, is violently attacked inside an animal enclosure .
Rewind 36 hours . College student Lucy Pinborough returns to her family’s stunning, secluded home in Hawaii, a modern glass structure embedded into a cliffside . With her are best friend Kate, frenemy Hannah, and crush Nick, ready for a carefree vacation . They are reintroduced to Lucy’s deaf father, Adam, her sister, Erin, and the true star of the family: Ben .
Ben is not a typical pet. Raised by Lucy’s late mother, a linguistics professor, he is highly intelligent and communicates using a custom soundboard on a tablet . The first interactions show a gentle, almost childlike creature overjoyed by a simple teddy bear from Lucy . But the idyllic setting is shattered when Adam finds a dead, bloody mongoose in Ben’s outdoor enclosure and discovers a bite on the chimp . The diagnosis? Rabies.
Trapped at the Edge of the World: The Poolside Siege
With Adam away at a book signing and the friends partying by the spectacular infinity pool, the first major attack occurs . A now-rabid Ben escapes, kills the returning veterinarian, and turns his attention to the party guests . Director Johannes Roberts uses the setting brilliantly, trapping the group in the very pool meant for relaxation.
Ben, hydrophobic from the rabies, can’t enter the water but is a patient, relentless stalker on its edges . The group’s first attempts to reason with or restrain him fail catastrophically. When Ben appears on the cliff-facing edge of the pool, Nick tries to push him off. In a horrifying display of the chimp’s raw strength, Ben instead grabs Nick and hurls him over the cliff to his death . This pivotal moment shifts the dynamic from a scary situation to a desperate fight for survival, with the group utterly trapped between a rabid primate and a deadly drop.
A House of Horrors: The Body Count Rises
As night falls, the survivors are picked off one by one in a series of gruesomely inventive kills that are the film’s bloody hallmark. Ben’s intelligence—a remnant of his trained past—makes him a cunning hunter . Each death is uniquely brutal, emphasizing the sheer physical power of a chimpanzee .
Kate’s Fate: In a brave attempt to retrieve a phone from the house, Kate accompanies Lucy inside. Her bravery turns to terror when Ben crushes her head with a heavy rock .
The Unwitting Guests: Two party-seeking guys, Drew and Brad, arrive at the house, completely unaware of the danger. Drew is cornered in a bedroom and suffers a particularly graphic death as Ben tears his jaw off . Brad, who makes it outside to the girls, is ambushed and beaten to death with a shovel .
Hannah’s Mistake: In a tense sequence, Hannah manages to sneak into the house to grab a phone and car keys. She makes a frantic 911 call, but her panic leads to a fatal error: she gets into the wrong car. The scene reaches a new level of dread as the audience realizes Ben has found the correct key fob and uses it to unlock the car she’s trapped in, leading to her mauling .
The Final Confrontation: Family Versus “Family”
The climactic battle begins with Adam’s return. The deaf father, unaware of the full horror, enters the house and immediately fights to protect his daughters . The final showdown is a brutal, close-quarters brawl. In a desperate move, Adam shatters a wine bottle and stabs Ben .
Believing the threat is over, the bloodied family embraces. But in a classic horror twist, Ben rises for one final, vengeful lunge at Lucy, sending them both crashing over a balcony railing . Adam’s quick reflexes save Lucy, while Ben plummets and is fatally impaled on a broken chair leg below .
The Bitter Ending & That Chilling Final Line
As police and ambulances arrive—dispatched from Hannah’s call—the surviving family members (Lucy, Adam, and the bitten Erin) are tended to in the front yard . They reassure Erin, who is being taken to the hospital for treatment, that she will never be alone .
Just as a sense of grim relief sets in, an officer collects Ben’s communication tablet as evidence. He accidentally presses a button, and the device emits a flat, electronic voice: “Lucy bad” . This final, unnerving line suggests a disturbing, lingering consciousness of betrayal in Ben’s rabies-addled mind, ending the film on a perfectly unsettling note.
Behind the Scenes: How “Primate” Creates Its Terror
A key reason “Primate” feels so visceral is its commitment to practical effects. Ben the chimpanzee is portrayed not through CGI, but by movement specialist Miguel Torres Umba in an incredibly detailed practical suit created by Millennium FX . This allows for tangible, weighty interactions with the actors and environment, making every attack feel more immediate and real .
Director Johannes Roberts also employed clever in-camera tricks. For the fractured, disorienting shots in the climax, the team built a motor-driven, six-sided mirror rig that spun around the camera, creating a psychedelic effect with no digital effects required .
How to Watch ‘Primate’
If you’re ready to experience the tension firsthand, here is the expected release path for “Primate.”
| Release Window | Platform/Service | Expected Timeframe | How to Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theatrical | Movie Theaters | Now Playing (Since Jan 9, 2026) | Purchase tickets via Fandango, AMC, etc. |
| Premium Digital | PVOD (Apple TV, Prime Video, etc.) | Estimated Feb 2026 (For rental/purchase) | Rent ($14.99-$24.99) or Buy ($19.99-$29.99) |
| Subscription Streaming | Paramount+ | Estimated Mar 2026 | Stream with a subscription |
Note: These dates are estimates based on Paramount’s recent release patterns and are subject to change . The film is a Paramount Pictures release and will stream on Paramount+ .
Final Verdict: Primal Fear Executed
“Primate” knows exactly what it is: a lean, mean, and effective B-movie thrill ride . It delivers exactly what the trailer promises—tense survival horror, gnarly practical gore, and a uniquely terrifying antagonist born from a tragic circumstance . While the human characters are classic horror archetypes, the film’s strength lies in its relentless pacing, creative kills, and the genuinely unsettling performance behind Ben . For fans of creature features and straightforward, well-executed horror, “Primate” is a wildly entertaining and terrifying pick.
Disclaimer
Some details in this post are sourced from AI-generated research and may change. Cross-check with official platforms for updates. Poster descriptions are conceptual and are not affiliated with the film’s marketing team.