“There’s something wrong with Ben…”

When it was first announced that 47 Metres Down filmmaker Johannes Roberts would next be tackling a horror movie centred around a chimp, many were sceptical.

After all, just how scary could a chimpanzee be? Well, if the first trailer for Primate is anything to go by, very scary indeed!

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to have a pet chimp? Well, one family is living out their dream, raising one as a domesticated animal.

Everything seems to be going well, with Ben even able to communicate via a tablet, constantly voicing his contentment. He’s the centre of attention when a group of visitors arrive, and is more than happy to show off…

Until he’s not… In the dead of night, something attacks Ben, and he’s not the same…

Showing intelligence beyond his means, Ben systematically begins to stalk his home’s occupants. One by one, he uses brute strength, edged weapons, and anything that comes to hand, to leave a trail of bodies in his wake. Who will escape Ben’s rampage alive? And what has corrupted this once loyal chimp?

Putting yet another spin on the classic slasher formula, Primate introduces a stalking antagonist unlike any other. Roberts clearly draws influence from the likes of Halloween and Black Christmas, whilst also taking cues from Stephen King’s Cujo.

The result looks like an intense melting pot of unique situations and suitably gory payoffs, but how will a blood-hungry chimpanzee go over with audiences? We’re undeniably curious to find out!

Primate stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, and Charlie Mann.

Ben the Chimp is set to slash into theatres when Primate releases on January 9th 2026.

You can check out the first trailer below: