Ben - Animal Rage: trailer, plot, and cinema ban

Ben - Animal Rage (Primate in original) could be one of the most ferocious horrors of 2026. Premiered at the Lucca Festival, the film directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night) received an R rating from the MPA in the United States for its heavy content of violence, blood, and gore elements, leaving little doubt about the brutal nature of the experience. While in the USA, entry for minors under 17 is permitted with an adult present, in Italy it only received a VM 14 (not suitable for under 14s).

The Italian theatrical release is set for January 9, 2026, for a film that promises a true, visceral survival horror. The story follows a group of friends on vacation in the tropics, whose dream stay quickly turns into a primordial nightmare. The reason lies with Ben, an apparently harmless pet chimpanzee who suddenly turns against his owners with uncontrollable ferocity.

Blood and violence don't scare Italy

Roberts explained how crucial it was to create an emotional bond with the animal before unleashing the horror: the viewer must become fond of Ben only to then fear him deeply. Meticulous design work, entrusted to the special effects studio Millennium FX, helped make the chimpanzee credible, unsettling, and narratively central. The director co-wrote Ben - Animal Rage with Ernest Riera, aiming for an essential and tense approach.

The film has been described as an old-school horror, direct and ruthless, yet capable of inserting moments of irony without compromising the constant sense of threat. The cast includes Johnny Sequoyah, Victoria Wyant, and Troy Kotsur, Oscar winner for CODA.