Overview

• Johannes Roberts’ killer-chimp thriller debuted in Austin with reviewers calling it a gory, old-school animal-attack movie built for crowd-pleasing shocks.
• The story follows a family’s pet chimp, Ben, who contracts rabies and turns on the household, with Johnny Sequoyah leading the cast and Oscar winner Troy Kotsur co-starring.
• Ben is realized primarily through practical effects by Millennium FX with prosthetics, puppetry, animatronics, and an on-set performance by movement specialist Miguel Torres Umba.
• Critics cite relentless tension and inventive kills alongside predictable plotting, tonal whiplash, and some continuity hiccups in the creature makeup.
• Paramount is targeting an early January 2026 wide release, with most outlets reporting January 9 and at least one listing January 6.