Scientist Will Rodman is determined to find a cure for Alzheimer's, the disease which has slowly consumed his father. Will feels certain he is close to a breakthrough and tests his latest serum on apes, noticing dramatic increases in intelligence and brain activity in the primate subjects – especially Caesar, his pet chimpanzee.
This movie contains 42 potentially triggering events.
It’s clear that Cesar feels abandoned by Will when he’s forced to leave Cesar at the sanctuary. They do have a father/son relationship, despite being different species.
A man injects his ill father with an experimental drug. Since his father has late-stage Alzheimer’s, it’s implied he could not consent to this treatment.
Apes are given experimental drugs that increase their intelligence.
SPOILERS . . . . - Will’s father Charles dies of Alzheimer’s. - Franklin dies of an infectious disease caused by exposure to the ALZ-113 drug. - Dodge electrocutes himself to death. - Jacobs is severely injured in a helicopter crash, then dies after falling off a bridge while stuck in the helicopter. - Buck the Silverback Gorilla dies after attacking a helicopter to protect Cesar. - The mid-credits scene indicates that humanity is doomed because a very deadly virus that kills humans (but not apes) has started to spread worldwide.
After the baby ape wakes up the main character, he takes it to the bathroom and sits in the room with the shower running for humidity, but they don't go into the shower.
Autism is listed as a “disease” and equates rates rising as a bad thing (for context: in reality changes to the diagnosis criteria made getting one a little easier which allistics went (well) apeshit over and basically treated it like it was an epidemic)
Cesar and the apes are finally free in the Redwoods. Will makes peace with Cesar and they say goodbye, which ends the film on a high note.
However - the mid-credits scene indicates that humanity is doomed because a very deadly virus that kills humans (but not apes) has started to spread worldwide. Ominous.