Primal (2019), directed by Nick Powell, is a pulpy action-thriller that throws a hunter, a killer, and a ship full of caged beasts into a single explosive setting. Starring Nicolas Cage in full wild-man mode, the film embraces its B-movie energy and delivers a fast-paced showdown of man versus monster—both human and animal.
Cage plays Frank Walsh, a rough-edged big-game hunter who’s just bagged his biggest prize: a rare white jaguar captured in the Amazon. He books passage on a cargo ship bound for the U.S., hoping to sell the beast to a zoo for a hefty paycheck. But there’s a catch. The U.S. government is using the same vessel to transport Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand), a dangerous political assassin being extradited in secret.
When Loffler escapes and releases the caged animals as a diversion, chaos erupts. Trapped at sea, with no communication and predators loose in every direction, Walsh must put his survival instincts to the test—not just to recapture his jaguar, but to stop a trained killer who sees everyone onboard as prey.
Primal doesn’t try to be subtle. It’s a high-concept thriller with tight quarters, brutal confrontations, and one very angry cat. Cage brings his trademark eccentric energy, while Durand plays the villain with cold-blooded precision. The film mixes old-school action with creature-feature tension, creating a strange but entertaining hybrid.
It’s not about realism—it’s about survival, style, and letting primal instincts take over.
Because when you're locked in a floating jungle,
The apex predator
Might not be the one with claws.
