[Fantasia ’23] ‘The Primevals’ review: Labor of love is refreshing blast from the past

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Time is an important part of The Primevals on a number of levels. It looks and plays like a movie from another era, and its production began in the 1960s – it was on the cover of horror, fantasy, and science fiction magazine Cinefantasique in 1969. After decades of stories and supposed encounters, it seems like the existence of the legendary Yeti has finally been confirmed. Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills, Grey’s Anatomy) leads an expedition to track down abominable snowmen. They find something just as fascinating – and much more disturbing.

Much like Mad Dog, the film was started as a labor of love many years ago. Unfortunately, it was never finished due to the death of special effects wizard and director David Allen. Thankfully, founder and CEO of Full Moon Features Charles Band along with longtime Allen associate Christ Endicott (Spider-Man: Homecoming) saw it to completion.

Allen first conceived of the idea in the 1970s. The influence of Ray Harryhausen and the science-fiction and serials of earlier decades is apparent. “It is retro and dated in a way,” Band told AIPT. This is certainly the case, but it also helps it stand out. Quite simply, there is nothing else like it today. Even the runtime is something of a throwback. In an era when movies tend to be over two hours, The Primevals is a brisk ninety minutes. (“None of the classics were over ninety minutes,” Band chimed in.)

The plot moves at a quick pace moving from one set piece to another before audiences can become too comfortable. The same can be said of the story which has elements of science-fiction, adventure, and horror. There is truly something for every genre fan. The downside is the characters are only developed at the surface level. Still, as Band says, “there’s a good does of humanity in the story.”

There is a charm to The Primevals that is rarely seen nowadays. The smooth stop motion animation and old school story is a refreshing treat. And things never slow down or get stale. There are some flaws along the way, but when one of the characters is named Rondo Montana, it is impossible not to recommend it.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place from July 20 – August 9. Fantasia, news, tickets, and films can be found HERE