Oscar winner Troy Kotsur on how Hollywood isolates deaf actors, but his new horror film Primate changes that

Dubai: Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Troy Kotsur, who's differently-abled, can’t hear you scream and that’s exactly why he loves horror movies.

Born deaf, the American talent told Gulf News that the real joy of watching a horror film for him is never the sound design or the jump scares.

“I watch people shake their heads, cover their eyes, jump in fear. It’s like a free show for me and that's priceless!," said Troy animatedly using sign language.

Kotsur, who plays the father of teenagers in the creature-feature horror Primate, believes the film is made for theatrical viewing — especially in places like the UAE, where moviegoing is still a full-on communal experience.

Horror is a big deal here: book a ticket for any new fright-fest, and expect to stand in line for popcorn, squeeze into a packed, screaming audience, and ride every jump scare together. That shared energy? It’s what makes horror a cinema lover’s dream.

“Horror is one of the last genres that truly demands a shared space,” Kotsur tells Gulf News.

For actress Johnny Sequoyah, who plays Lucy, that communal panic is the whole point.

“There’s nothing like being in a room with strangers and people you love, all holding your breath together,” she says.

“I’ve seen Primate with audiences — people get up, scream, shout at the screen. Someone actually yelled, ‘Kill the chimp!’ It becomes a ride.”

Directed by Johannes Roberts, the pulpy creature-feature revolves around a family who make the fatal mistake of treating a chimpanzee named Ben like a pet rather than the wild animal he is. What begins as companionship slowly mutates into chaos, as Ben’s instincts resurface and the supposedly safe domestic space turns dangerous.

But what made Primate appeal to Troy it accommodates both deaf and hearing audience, without turning accessibility into a lecture.

“Historically, deaf audiences were isolated,” Kotsur explains.

“But here, deaf and hearing people get to experience the same emotions, together, at the same time. That shared reaction is powerful.”

Naturally, our brief chat swings to the looming anxiety over movie theatres.

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For Sequoyah, whose film is hitting theatres for the first time, that idea? Yeah, it’s a little unsettling.

“I really hope not,” she says. “Theatres were my church growing up. My parents were cinephiles. I just don’t believe that experience will ever disappear.”

Kotsur, ever the storyteller, first jokes that the smell of popcorn is reason enough to keep cinemas alive, before turning serious.

“Movies are about storytelling,” he signs. “And storytelling works best when a community experiences it together.”

Primate doesn’t pretend to be high art or social commentary. It knows exactly what it is — a creature-feature that invites audiences to scream, laugh, and occasionally yell advice at fictional characters who make terrible decisions.

“This isn’t a film you analyse,” Sequoyah says.

“You go in, you have fun, you scream. It’s cathartic. You laugh one second and feel genuinely terrified the next.”

Under all the chaos and creature terror, Primate asks the hard question: who’s the real villain - the chimp we try to boss around, or the humans who thought they were in charge?

“The film asks that question,” Sequoyah says carefully. “But it’s also very clear about one thing, just don’t keep pet chimps.”

Kotsur, meanwhile, offers a deadpan twist.

“At first, I thought my daughter was the villain,” he signs. “She threw a wild party and trashed the house. But then it turns out — it’s Ben.”

Ben, the chimpanzee, almost steals the film — a classic acting hazard. Babies and animals, as the saying goes, will always outshine you.

“Oh, absolutely,” Sequoyah laughs. “Ben is the star. The practical work behind him is extraordinary. Miguel and Nadia, who perform him, are incredible.”

Kotsur agrees. “They made Ben believable. You forget he’s not real — and that’s when it gets scary.”

Primate is out in UAE cinemas on January 22