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Johannes Roberts' Primate Opens In Theaters, Showcasing Practical-Effects Creature Work

Early reviews spotlight practical creature work, with Miguel Torres Umba’s performance singled out.

Overview

  • The Paramount horror film from director Johannes Roberts, starring Johnny Sequoyah and Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, opened in U.S. theaters on Jan. 9.
  • The premise follows a family pet chimp, Ben, whose behavior turns deadly after a mongoose bite linked to rabies.
  • Ben is realized through Millennium FX’s animatronic creature suit, performed by movement specialist Miguel Torres Umba.
  • Early reviews credit the tactile realism and Umba’s physical performance with grounding the film’s central menace.
  • Critics describe a brisk, retro, gore-forward thriller set at a cliffside Hawaii home with a pool-bound siege, while faulting thin plotting and pacing.