Title: Primate
Genre: Horror
Release Date: January 9, 2025
Platform: Theaters
Rating: 2.5/5
“Rather than feeling trapped, you start to feel stuck, and not in a good way.”
Last week, I had the chance to attend a genuinely cool event hosted by TikTok and Paramount, and it was one of the more refreshing theater experiences that I’ve had in a while. Paramount is clearly leaning into social media creators to build early buzz around its upcoming slate, and this felt like an intentional way to do so. The event was part of Paramount and TikTok’s new “Secret Screenings” initiative, a surprise, invite-only series where creators don’t know what film they’re about to see until they’re seated in the theater. The inaugural screening kicked off on January 5th, with the horror thriller Primate, featuring an appearance from the film’s star, Johnny Sequoyah.
“Secret Screenings” aren’t a brand-new concept. Chains like AMC and Regal have offered mystery screenings to the general public for years, but this creator-focused approach feels different. It’s less about discounted tickets and more about sparking conversation early, letting films live on social platforms before word-of-mouth can fade. If the goal is to get people talking about movies before opening weekend, this feels like a smart step in that direction.
The whole experience was packed with surprises and perks, but what really stood out was the sense of community. Being in a room full of creators who genuinely love movies created a space for those out-of-theater conversations you don’t always get, where people are breaking down scenes, arguing tone, and swapping thoughts in real time.
As for Primate itself, it’s undeniably entertaining and surprisingly funny. There’s a chaotic, darkly comedic edge that sneaks up on you and gives the film a strange, almost unhinged energy. When it works, it really works. But enjoyment doesn’t erase its issues. For every moment that lands, there’s a frustration right behind it, holding the film back from ever fully coming together.
The film centers on Lucy’s return to her tropical island home, a visit that quickly turns into a nightmare when her family’s seemingly intelligent and familiar pet chimpanzee, Ben, becomes rabid. It’s a setup with a lot of potential, especially for claustrophobic, contained horror. Unfortunately, the execution never fully capitalizes on that promise.
One of the film’s most significant problems is its stagnant feel. Limiting the story to a single location should heighten tension, but instead, the film keeps circling the same handful of spaces. The environment never becomes an active threat, and the sense of escalation never truly builds. Rather than feeling trapped, you start to feel stuck, and not in a good way.
That same lack of momentum shows up in the character’s decision-making. Horror thrives on bad choices, but there’s a difference between panic-driven mistakes and actions that feel implausible just to keep the plot moving. Several moments cross that line, pulling you out of the tension and occasionally drifting into unintentional comedy. Instead of raising the stakes, these choices flatten them.
The film clearly wants its emotional backbone to be this fractured family, but it never commits to exploring that dynamic meaningfully. We’re told there’s distance, guilt, and unresolved grief, but the movie never slows down enough to let those ideas shape the characters. The emotional beats feel scripted, and by the time the film gestures toward healing or reconciliation, it comes across as abrupt and unearned.
Ironically, Primate is at its best when it stops hesitating and fully embraces its most extreme instincts. The chimpanzee is undeniably the centerpiece, and the film’s willingness to go all-in on graphic, brutal violence is easily its strongest asset. The gore is unapologetic, the brutality is shocking, and in those moments, the film finally feels confident in what it wants to be.
All in all, the Paramount and TikTok Secret Screening event was a genuine win. It was a smart, community-driven way to build excitement around theatrical releases. As for Primate, it’s a messy but watchable horror film with moments of real energy and bite, even if it never fully commits to its strongest ideas. When it embraces chaos, it shines. When it hesitates, it stalls. It’s a film that’s entertaining in bursts, frustrating in execution, and ultimately memorable more for what it could’ve been than what it fully delivers.
