Johannes Roberts has found plenty of success with small-budgeted horrors that hit big, such as the 47 Meters Down franchise, and The Strangers: Prey at Night. Last month at Fantastic Fest, Roberts debuted his latest, Primate, to rave reviews from the genre audience. And as the title implies, this time the killer to be feared is a pet chimpanzee that has gone feral.
Primate stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Academy Award-winning CODA actor Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, and Tienne Simon. The film is directed by Roberts, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ernest Riera.
Here’s the synopsis: In PRIMATE, a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.
Based on the trailer, Primate will really lean into the nuttiness of the situation, blending comedy with the savagery of chimp violence. And yet, there’s also room to maybe feel a bit of sadness for the animal that has lost control, similar to the way we look at the rabid canine in Cujo.
Primate opens in theaters on January 9th 2026 from Paramount Pictures.
