Widely considered to be one of the greatest modern zombie blockbusters, 28 Days Later is often overlooked for having some extremely strong chimpanzee performances in the first few minutes. Enthusiasts will be put off by the inclusion of a mutilated chimp corpse, but the chimp attack that serves as the catalyst for the film’s action was a masterclass of primate acting. Sound mixing could have been better though.

An outlier in Eastwood’s catalogue. It seems to be a passion project—the orangutan was his idea, and he produced the film. The movie bleeds Americana and presents a more vulnerable Clint than we are used to. The ape acting in this movie is some of the best around—no puppets or shortcuts here, just raw talent. The movie meanders for much of its runtime but it wins you over in the last half, with some compelling fight scenes and a great early role for Beverly D’Angelo. For lovers of monkey movies, this is a must see!

As a lifelong fan of monkey movies—you can skip this one. It’s not worth it.

Awesome special effects and editing. Real gorilla baby at the beginning. Solid watch. Recommended.