Primitive War – Movie Review (3/5)

PRIMITIVE WAR is a new horror movie that plays out during the Vietnam War and features dinosaurs. Lots of them. Also, this is nowhere near as kitsch as that sounds. The movie is based on a book, and the premise is surprisingly elegant. Read our full Primitive War movie review here!

PRIMITIVE WAR is a horror movie with a plot that worked surprisingly well. With a runtime of well over two hours, I was worried that it would be very slow. It isn’t. Not at all. What it is, however, is essentially three stories in one movie. And that’s not a bad thing either.

It begins as a somewhat classic Vietnam War movie following a group of soldiers. Then we move into a dinosaur plot, and then there’s the final act about how the dinosaurs came to be in Vietnam in 1968. All three are very interesting, and the storytelling works so much better than I ever expected. Even more surprising, so did the special effects.

Continue reading our Primitive War movie review here!

Vietnam 1968… with dinosaurs

Primitive War plays out in Vietnam in 1968, where we meet a search and rescue team known as the “Vulture Squad”. Having just returned from one intense mission, they are sent to the next. Of course, much of the mission is classified, so all they know is that they need to save a missing Green Beret platoon.

The Vultures hunt through the jungle, doing their best to avoid danger, so they can get to the missing Green Berets as soon as possible. Of course, avoiding the enemy doesn’t matter much when suddenly dinosaurs are roaming around in Vietnam.

Yes, dinosaurs have somehow been unleashed. In Vietnam. In 1968. And yes, we do get answers about the how and why of this wild situation. What’s important to the storyline of Primitive War is how the members of “Vulture Squad” decide to act. Very quickly, they recognize that they may have to rely more on their own savage instincts to survive this madness.

Impressive dinosaurs and a great cast

Sure, you may see Jeremy Piven in much of the PR material, but this isn’t really his movie. He’s in it, and his character is important, but he’s not the one out in the field. That would be the leader of the Vultures, and he’s portrayed by Ryan Kwanten. An actor I have adored in pretty much everything he’s done. From True Blood and Glorious to Them.

In other key roles are Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer) and Nick Wechsler (The Boys, The Hunting Party).

Also, we get to see Anthony Ingruber (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Aaron Glenane (Killing Ground), Carlos Sanson Jr (Legacies), Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2), Marcus Johnson (Talk to Me), and Jake Ryan (Savage), among several others.

Along with the actors, we see many different dinosaurs. Much of the action happens during nightfall, which is a smart move as it doesn’t require quite as many details. However, we do also see plenty of dinosaurs during the daytime, and they often hold up very nicely. Regardless of their budget, I feel the production quality is way higher than one could expect!

Watch Primitive War in UK cinemas or on VOD in the US

Primitive War is written and directed by Luke Sparke. We recently reviewed his 2024 movie Scurry, as it was released on digital. This dinosaur war hybrid is based on the 2017 sci-fi military novel series of the same name by Ethan Pettus. It was produced by Luke Sparke with Carmel Imrie and Carly Sparke (Occupation: Rainfall, Bring Him to Me, and Scurry).

The worldbuilding is very impressive, and I was happy to see that this wasn’t made as a kitsch B-movie. I mean, when you describe the plot, it’s too easy to think a filmmaker would go the route of Sharknado or something similar. This is not that kind of story, and the movie fortunately reflects that.

I have no problem admitting that I would love a sequel. Also, I haven’t read the novel series, but it sounds like there could be more to work on from that alone.

Primitive War is out in UK and Irish cinemas from November 28, 2025. It’s already out on digital in the US.

Details

Director: Luke Sparke
Writer: Luke Sparke
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, Nick Weschler, Anthony Ingruber, Aaron Glenane, Carlos Sanson Jr, Ana Thu Nguyen, Adolphus Waylee, Richard Brancatisano, Marcus Johnson, Jake Ryan