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Primate Opens to Strong Early Notices for Its Practical-Effects Chimp Villain

Early reviews highlight Miguel Torres Umba’s in-suit performance, with Millennium FX’s animatronics providing the film’s defining craft.

Overview

  • The survival-horror film is now playing in U.S. theaters, drawing broadly positive first-day reviews focused on its tactile creature work.
  • Set at a cliffside home in Hawaii, the story follows a family and friends who confront escalating danger after their pet chimp contracts rabies.
  • Director Johannes Roberts chose a practical approach, with movement specialist Miguel Torres Umba performing inside an animatronic suit built by Millennium FX.
  • Critics praise the memorable central antagonist and gore-forward set pieces, while noting a lean plot and stretches of downtime between attacks.
  • The cast includes Johnny Sequoyah, Gia Hunter and Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, with coverage situating the movie within a throwback creature-feature tradition.