Metacritic's Highest-Rated Adventure-Horror Series Is An Animated Gem Streaming On Max
"Primal" is many things. For starters, it's a thoughtful look at the unifying experiences of loss and grief, as well as one of the most accurate (and sensitive) depictions of what it's like to live with an animal companion put to screen. It's also the gnarliest animated "Conan the Barbarian" adaptation that's never been made and often plays like a Robert E. Howard fever dream.
Case in point: Over the course of Genndy Tartakovsky's rip-roaring blend of prehistoric fantasy, action-adventure, and horror, the show's heroes are forced to survive scraps with flash floods of blood-thirsty snakes, colossal bats, and even a dinosaur infected with what seems to be a nastier strain of the Rage virus from "28 Days Later." And that's before they cross paths with the human tribes residing in this extremely anachronistic (not to mention gleefully pulpy) vision of Earth's very distant past.
To put it another way, "Primal" contains multitudes, much like its creator. A legend in the field of animation, Tartakovsky broke out thanks to his work as the creator and a primary director on "Dexter's Laboratory" and "The Powerpuff Girls," respectively. Both cartoons are remarkably zestful and downright giddy in terms of their physical mechanics and the expressiveness of their characters — an approach Tartakovsky later carried over while directing the first three "Hotel Transylvania" films. He would go on to maintain that general energy in his more violent and mature offerings as well, most notably the mini-sized "Star Wars: Clone Wars" series, "Primal," and, of course, the beloved potpourri of stylized action, historical fantasy, and dystopian sci-fi that is "Samurai Jack" (which began as a somewhat literal childhood dream for Tartakovsky).
Imaginative, genre-blending narratives, dazzling spectacle, and an uncanny ability to shatter your heart in between scenes of characters trying to murder the s**t out of each other aren't the only things "Primal" and "Samurai Jack" have in common, either. They're also very well-regarded (and deservedly so), as a quick glance at Metacritic will tell you.
Primal is Genndy Tartakovsky at his finest
What do "Shaun the Sheep" and "Primal" have in common? It's not a trick question. As far removed as the titular, mischief-making sheep and his shenanigans might be from the astonishing carnage of Tartakovsky's series, they're both essentially (or, in the latter's case, very close to nearly) devoid of dialogue. That "Primal" is able to craft a compelling story full of multifaceted characters and powerful themes purely through its visuals just goes to show what a creative achievement it truly is. Critics have taken notice, too, hence "Primal" being the highest-rated "horror TV show" on Metacritic ahead of the likes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Los Espookys," and "The Last of Us" (all of which are great series in their own right).
Another thing "Primal" does exceptionally well is merging serialized elements with more episodic storytelling. That's particularly the case early on as the show's leads — a Neanderthal (whose various grunts and yells are voiced by Aaron LaPlante) and T-Rex (whose roars are provided by Joel Valentine), referred to as Spear and Fang in the credits — bond after being unexpectedly thrown together by their shared personal tragedies. As they encounter one bizarro danger after another during their day-to-day battle to stay alive, their experiences allow the series to dip its feet into a variety of subgenres while also experimenting with its format. This includes what might just be the show's finest hour with season 1's "Coven of the Damned," a genuinely moving episode that largely shifts away from Spear and Fang's point of view to that of a primitive (and, as we soon come to learn, time-traveling!) witch from a tribe of ancient sorceresses.
In a golden age of adult animated television (ranging from the debaucherous and juvenile yet emotionally complex "Harley Quinn" to the idiosyncratic, visually-striking likes of "Common Side Effects"), "Primal" is a reminder that a work of gonzo action can be just as artistically ambitious as anything else. It's a lot like George Miller's big-budget "Mad Max" films in that regard, which is about as high a compliment as I can give anything.