Filmmaker Johannes Roberts knows how to bring a little energy to his fright flicks, including his latest, Primate. Frankly, I dug his work on The Strangers: Prey at Night and 47 Meters Down, both of which had me giddy with fun frights. In Primate, he explores another wild animal. And this time, we meet Ben, the chimpanzee. Frankly, I’d hate to spoil anything for audiences. However, I will say that this one is far bloodier and more gruesome than you might expect. The cast is impressive, especially Johnny Sequoyah and Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur (Coda). And I cannot say enough about Miguel Torres Umba as Ben.
I went into Primate, only watching the trailer. And when I sat down with Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, and Johannes Roberts, the film impressed me even more. With the use of practical effects, Primate manages to create one of the most realistic cinematic animals I’ve witnessed. Ben is a fascinating character, and he came up often during the conversations.
Both Johnny and Troy discussed working with Mr. Roberts and finding the reality in their characters. As well, they had high praise for their on-screen co-star. I’ve admired Troy’s work for quite a while now, and I was equally impressed by Ms. Sequoyah here. As for Johannes, I had the pleasure of meeting the director back when The Strangers: Prey at Night was released, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting him back then. And it was terrific speaking with him about Ben, and this modern man-versus-nature creature feature.
Primate opens this Friday. You can check out our own Mike Holtz’s very positive take here.
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