10 More Horror Movies That Lied About Their Premise

5. Primeval's "Most Prolific Serial Killer" Mystery

Primeval crocodile movie
Buena Vista Pictures

Primeval is a 2007 horror movie about a giant crocodile causing chaos in Burundi. A news crew and experts are flown in to cover this story and ideally bring the croc in alive... but of course, the end result is a whole bunch more victims for a creature affectionately known as Gustave.

Based on the initial marketing for Primeval, you'd have zero idea that this was a film centred around a crocodile. Yes, the home release of the feature has Gustave front-and-centre on the cover, but prior to hitting cinemas, all that audiences knew about Primeval was that it was "inspired by the true story of the most prolific serial killer in history".

The trailers for the film told us that this serial killer - who'd amassed 300 victims - was "elusive, intelligent, cunning, and to this day remains at large". In terms of visuals, there's almost a Texas Chain Saw Massacre feel to the bones, colour palette, and quick cuts used in those trailers. Never once do we see a crocodile, and if anything this footage alludes to some sort of supernatural presence.

But no, Primeval is absolutely a killer croc feature. As for Gustave, he is absolutely a very real crocodile in Burundi, estimated to be over 20 ft in length, weigh over 2,000 lbs, be approximately 70 years of age, and yes, has killed up to 300 people.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.