The movie begins with poachers capturing chimpanzees for testing. At Gen-Sys, a biotech company, chemist Will Rodman tests a new drug, ALZ-112, on a chimp named Bright Eyes, which shows impressive results in solving puzzles. Will is excited about the potential for human trials and presents his findings to the board, highlighting the drug's promise as a cure for Alzheimer’s. However, Bright Eyes becomes aggressive and escapes, causing chaos and ultimately being shot by security. The board rejects Will's proposal, and Jacobs, his supervisor, suspects the aggression was due to the drug's side effects.