Upcoming chimp-themed horror movie Primate debuts to overwhelmingly positive first reactions, comparing it to Stephen King's Cujo and Jordan Peele's Nope

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Upcoming chimp-themed horror movie Primate debuts to overwhelmingly positive first reactions, comparing it to Stephen King's Cujo and Jordan Peele's Nope News By Megan Garside published 8 January 2026

If you weren't already scared of monkeys, you will be soon

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It looks like January is going to be a great month for horror. Not only do we have 28 Years Later follow-up The Bone Temple to look forward to, a new chimp-themed gore-fest is hitting the big screen – and it's already winning over early viewers.

Primate currently holds an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty impressive for an original horror movie. This comes just days after the movie received rave first reactions after early screenings, with many blown away by just how scary the film is, especially when it comes to villain Ben the Chimp.

"Primate is a lean, mean, rabid-chimp chiller that delivers nonstop tension and gloriously gruesome kills!!," said movie critic Andre Saint-Albin. That Hashtag Show writer Jordan Bolding echoes, "If you imagined how an animal attack movie could go, it goes there and then some. Plenty of violence, and Ben is one mean sonofabitch."

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• A group of friends learn why you should never have a pet chimp in this terrifying trailer for Primate
• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple first reactions call the horror sequel "bonkers": "You will need a very strong stomach"
• New movie from The Monkey's Oz Perkins called "skillful horror origami" and "a terrifying descent into madness" by genre faves Guillermo del Toro and James Wan

Others are comparing Ben to fellow animal horror icons like Cujo, the killer dog from the Stephen King adaptation, and sinister simian Congo in Jordan Peele's Nope. "Cujo has nothing on Ben the Chimp!" said That Hashtag Show's Junior Felix, and Variety's Courtney Howard wrote, "Johannes Roberts’ Primate is CUJO with a chimp - even lifts from its inspiration, copying the pan (but from in a pool)."

Directed by The Strangers: Prey at Night's Johannes Roberts, Primate follows a college student who brings some of her friends back to her tropical island home, where her pet Chimp Ben waits for her. However, when Ben becomes rabid, the group's dream vacation turns into a fight for survival against one of the planet's most intelligent killers.

This is not the first time Roberts has had success with animal-themed slasher movies. However, horror fans are certainly loving Primate a little more than his shark attack movies 47 Meters Down and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, which sit at 53% and 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

Primate hits theaters on January 9 in the US, and will show in UK cinemas from January 30. For more, check out our guide to the other best upcoming horror movies to add to your watchlist.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Megan GarsideSocial Links NavigationJunior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.

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Logout Read more A group of friends learn why you should never have a pet chimp in this terrifying trailer for Primate    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple first reactions call the horror sequel "bonkers": "You will need a very strong stomach"    New movie from The Monkey's Oz Perkins called "skillful horror origami" and "a terrifying descent into madness" by genre faves Guillermo del Toro and James Wan    Upcoming horror movies coming in 2026 and beyond    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple director teases the sequel's most "horrifying" scene involving Jack O'Connell's villain    Hideo Kojima, Fede Alvarez, and Bong Joon Ho are the latest names raving about Osgood Perkins' new movie Keeper: "He is the wizard of horror"    Latest in Horror Movies A24's new horror movie just dropped a spine-chilling first trailer, and now I never want to listen to a podcast again    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple director teases the sequel's most "horrifying" scene involving Jack O'Connell's villain    Creepy first trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine star's new horror movie looks like a mix of Death Note and Talk to Me    Deadpool star's new horror action movie trailer looks like a cross between Die Hard and Rosemary's Baby    Guillermo del Toro says James Cameron convinced him to cut 7 minutes of Frankenstein    The Long Walk is one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time – and the saddest movie of 2025    Latest in News Elder Scrolls Online unveils 2026 roadmap, devs say "new approach" to transparency and more is "key" to the MMO's future    Hytale lead previously told a fan his "dream" feature was just a dream, but a one-word follow-up suggests it's real    Metroid Prime 4 devs wanted to "make sure" MacKenzie "wasn't annoying"    The Last of Us 2 multiplayer might still be possible thanks to modding efforts 2 years after the spin-off was canceled    The first new Switch 2 Joy-Con controller colors are here, and here's where to get them    After 25 million copies sold, Phasmophobia maker follows Palworld and Among Us devs by opening an indie publishing arm    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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