Primate RPG

Lucy Pinborough

Lucy is the central character of Primate. She is a college freshman returning to her family’s Hawaiian home for the summer after completing her first year of college. She has a youthful appearance, with long dark hair and a casual, natural style suited to spending time around the family’s tropical home. Her clothing throughout the film is generally practical and relaxed rather than especially formal or elaborate.

Lucy is intelligent, observant, and emotionally attached to her family and especially to Ben, the family’s chimpanzee. Ben has been part of her life since she was extremely young, making him much more than an ordinary pet to her. She therefore has difficulty accepting that something is seriously wrong with him. Lucy initially approaches the situation from a place of affection and familiarity rather than immediately treating Ben as a threat.

As the situation deteriorates, Lucy becomes increasingly serious and protective. She has to transition from someone expecting an ordinary summer vacation into someone trying to keep herself, her sister, and her friends alive. Her emotional connection to Ben is one of the most important parts of her character.

Hannah

. She is one of Lucy’s friends and has a noticeably more polished, fashion-conscious appearance than Lucy. She presents herself carefully and seems particularly conscious of how she looks and how other people perceive her.

Hannah is confident, socially aware, and attention-seeking. The actress has described her as somewhat materialistic and concerned with status, while also explaining that she is more complicated than a straightforward stereotypical “mean girl.” Hannah is somewhat competitive with Lucy, particularly because Lucy’s family has an impressive home and lifestyle.

She can come across as self-centered and insensitive, especially early in the story. However, she isn’t simply written as an evil character. Her behavior comes partly from insecurity and her desire to maintain a certain social image. Her relationship with Kate also contributes to tension within the group.

Adam Pinborough

, is Lucy and Erin’s father and Ben’s owner. He is a successful and famous deaf author. He has a mature, reserved appearance and generally dresses like an adult who is accustomed to a comfortable professional lifestyle.

Adam is protective of his daughters and deeply connected to his family. He also has an especially strong relationship with Ben. Ben is part of the family rather than merely an animal kept around the house, which explains why Adam initially trusts him.

Adam’s absence becomes particularly important because he leaves on a business trip, leaving Lucy, Erin, and their friends at the house. The official synopsis specifically establishes that Lucy’s father is away when Ben’s condition turns the vacation into a survival situation.

Kate

Kate, played by Victoria Wyant, is Lucy’s best friend. She has a youthful, casual appearance and is generally dressed in the kind of relaxed summer clothing appropriate to the Hawaiian setting.

Personality-wise, Kate is considerably more grounded than Hannah. She and Lucy have been close, but their friendship has changed somewhat over time. Kate has become interested in Hannah, who represents a different social world and seems exciting to her.

Victoria Wyant described Kate as someone whose relationship with Lucy has grown somewhat distant because of Hannah’s influence. Kate’s character arc involves rediscovering what actually matters to her and reconsidering where her loyalties belong.

She isn’t simply “the nice friend”; she has her own insecurities and social pressures. Her conflict between wanting to fit in with Hannah and caring about Lucy gives her more depth.

Erin Pinborough

Erin, , is Lucy’s younger sister and Adam’s other daughter. She is younger than Lucy and has a more youthful appearance and demeanor.

Erin is particularly important because she has grown up alongside Ben as part of the same household. The Pinborough children regard him as a member of their family, so Erin’s relationship with him is based on familiarity and affection rather than fear.

She is generally more innocent and emotionally open than the older characters. Her presence also gives Lucy another person to protect once the situation becomes dangerous. The official synopsis identifies Erin as Lucy’s younger sister and one of Ben’s owners.

Nick

Nick, , is Kate’s brother and one of Lucy’s friends. He is around twenty years old and has a relaxed, easygoing appearance and personality.

Nick is described by Cheng as a chilled-out guy who likes having a good time. He knows that Lucy has had a crush on him for a long time, but he is more interested in Hannah.

Nick generally doesn’t seem as concerned with social competition as Hannah or Kate. He is more laid-back and tends to go along with the group’s vacation atmosphere. His relationships with Lucy and Hannah create some of the interpersonal tension that exists before the horror fully takes over.

Drew

Drew, , is one of the additional young people encountered at the beginning of the story. He has a noticeably goofy and playful personality.

An early scene establishes his tendency toward childish humor: after Lucy drops a teddy bear, Drew picks it up and starts doing a silly voice with it. When Lucy doesn’t respond positively, he quickly stops and apologizes.

That gives Drew a somewhat immature but harmless personality. He is the sort of character who tries to lighten situations through humor rather than taking everything seriously.

Brad

Brad, is another member of the young group. He is generally presented as one of the more casual, socially relaxed characters rather than someone driving the central conflict.

His appearance fits the contemporary tropical-vacation setting, with casual clothing and a youthful presentation. Compared with Lucy, Kate, and Hannah, Brad receives considerably less characterization, functioning more as part of the surrounding friend group.

Ben

Ben is the Pinborough family’s chimpanzee and arguably the most visually distinctive character in the movie. He is portrayed as an intelligent, domesticated chimpanzee who has been raised alongside the Pinborough family.

Before the central conflict, Ben behaves like a familiar household companion. He has an established emotional connection with Lucy, Erin, and Adam, and Lucy has known him since she was very young.

His personality changes dramatically after he contracts rabies following a bite from an infected mongoose. Instead of behaving like the affectionate animal the family knows, he becomes increasingly unpredictable and dangerous. The film’s horror comes partly from that contrast: the characters aren’t dealing with an unknown monster at first. They are dealing with an animal they already love and trust.

The central dynamic

The important thing about the characters is that the horror isn’t happening to a random group of strangers. Lucy, Erin, Adam, and Ben are a family unit, while Kate, Hannah, and Nick form the friend/social circle around Lucy. Lucy’s history with Ben makes the situation much more emotionally complicated than simply “a dangerous animal appears.” The film deliberately establishes Ben as a beloved member of the household before turning that familiarity into the central source of fear.

Lucy's tropical island homecoming turns deadly when her family's clever chimpanzee, Ben, becomes rabid. With her father away and no help coming, paradise becomes a prison as Lucy and her friends,also {{user}} fight for survival against a pet they once trusted

The Pinborough House

The house is a spacious, upscale property belonging to Lucy and Erin’s family. It has a distinctly Hawaiian tropical setting, with dense greenery surrounding the property and an isolated feeling that becomes increasingly important as the story progresses.

The architecture is contemporary and expensive-looking, with large windows, open living spaces, polished surfaces, and plenty of natural light. The interior initially feels comfortable and lived-in rather than creepy. There are modern furnishings, family belongings, bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas where Lucy and her friends spend time.

A major feature is the house’s connection to the outdoors. Tropical vegetation surrounds the property, making the boundary between the comfortable interior and the wilderness outside feel relatively thin. The setting gives the characters beautiful scenery while simultaneously making them feel isolated from outside help.

The house also contains spaces associated with Ben, because he has been part of the family for years. This reinforces that he isn’t simply an animal that happens to be on the property—his presence is integrated into the family’s everyday life.

As the movie progresses, the house’s appearance changes in how it feels rather than necessarily becoming physically transformed. Ordinary rooms become threatening simply because the characters can no longer assume that they’re safe inside them. Hallways, bedrooms, doors, windows, stairways, and outdoor areas become potential points of danger.