Primate raises questions about the ethical treatment of animals in scientific experiments at the Yerkes Primate Research Center. The film observes the treatment of apes at the research center as they are being held captive for scientific research. Michael Arlen of The New Yorker wrote, “PRIMATE ostensibly has to do with the routine investigations of primate life and behavior... What it’s actually about is scientific research: its seemingly accepted presence in American life, and its ambiguous purposes.
