Johannes Roberts' 2026 horror film Primate, starring Troy Kotsur and Johnny Sequoyah, was a box office disappointment but received strong critical reviews and has since become a streaming success on Paramount+.
The horror genre has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent years, gaining significant mainstream attention and even earning Academy Award recognition, as seen with Demi Moore's nomination for Best Actress in The Substance.
This momentum has carried into 2026, with a diverse slate of releases showcasing the genre's creative vitality. Standout successes include YouTuber Markiplier's directorial debut Iron Lung, the much-anticipated sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, acclaimed director Sam Raimi's return with Send Help, and the sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. The genre's appeal is also reaching younger creators, exemplified by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, whose film Backrooms shattered box office records during its theatrical run.
This commercial and critical triumph for major horror releases, however, has a downside: many smaller, equally compelling films risk being overlooked. That has been the case for Johannes Roberts' Primate, which had a month-long theatrical run at the beginning of the year. Despite a production budget reported at $24 million, the film only managed to gross $41 million at the global box office, marking it as a commercial disappointment relative to its budget.
The film's plot follows a group of friends on a vacation that turns into a nightmare when Ben, an adopted chimpanzee, suddenly becomes lethally violent. While it underperformed financially, Primate garnered strong reviews from critics. It holds a certified fresh 78% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with one critic calling it easily one of the most entertaining horror films of the year.
Jeff Ewing of Collider praised its focused execution, writing that the film aims singularly to weave a gory tale of young people besieged by an unhinged chimp and that this focus proves wildly successful because Primate rocks. Thankfully, the film has found a robust second life on streaming. It has recently surpassed the 100-day mark on the Paramount+ top ten chart in the United States, indicating sustained viewer interest and providing a measure of redemption after its theatrical stumble.
This narrative underscores a common modern pattern where a film's ultimate profitability and cultural footprint are increasingly determined by streaming performance rather than initial box office receipts alone
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