Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Primal Fear

Play trailer 2:19 Poster for Primal Fear R Released Apr 3, 1996 2h 9m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
77% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Primal Fear

Primal Fear

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Primal Fear is a straightforward yet entertaining thriller elevated by a crackerjack performance from Edward Norton.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (47)
Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 3/5 Jun 28, 2005 Full Review Peter Stack San Francisco Chronicle Rated: 4/4 Jun 18, 2002 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The plot is as good as crime procedurals get, but the movie is really better than its plot because of the three-dimensional characters. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The tense crime procedural thriller has a twist in its last act that fails to do it justice. Rated: B- Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight A presumably innocent man and a justice-seeking defense lawyer delve into a complex tangle of crime and murder in Primal Fear, a sometimes grating, sometimes invigorating courtroom drama mixed with investigative police procedural. Rated: 3.5/4 Feb 12, 2022 Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media A tense psychological thriller rich with shadowy menace and a sense of confidence that allows the impressive cast to shine. Rated: 4/5 Jun 23, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+)
Mike V Sooner or later, a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real. Primal Fear is a 1996 American legal mystery crime thriller film directed by Gregory Hoblit 🔪 Awesome! 😀 I’d totally recommend it 👍🏼👍🏼 One of my favourite movies of the year ⭐️ Great acting combined with an interesting and twisting screenplay makes for entertaining viewing… An arrogant, high-powered attorney takes on the case of a poor altar boy found running away from the scene of the grisly murder of the bishop who has taken him in. The case gets a lot more complex when the accused reveals that there may or may not have been a third person in the room. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/29/25 Full Review Patrick G. 8/10 Only the ending was really what made it worth it really slow Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review Esra Y 90s were the era of twist ending. Years later although ending is nothing new Primal fear still provides to be an intriguing ride with great performances especially from Norton. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/10/25 Full Review Janis E An unfolding mystery in which truth is elusive, and twists are the order of the day...gives Norton a career-making opportunity to strut his stuff. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/10/25 Full Review udit k Primal Fear is a gripping courtroom thriller that completely exceeded my expectations. The performances are top-notch across the board, but the young man at the center of it all absolutely steals the show with a hauntingly powerful presence. Twists and tension keep you hooked till the very end. A must-watch for fans of smart, intense dramas— just watch it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Audience Member Well done movie. It's a shame we don't get to see Richard Gere nowadays. Laura Linney is absolutely breathtaking in this film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Primal Fear

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Primal Fear

Primal Fear: Official Clip - Playing Rough Primal Fear: Official Clip - Playing Rough 2:13 Primal Fear: Official Clip - Good For You, Marty Primal Fear: Official Clip - Good For You, Marty 2:13 Primal Fear: Official Clip - Just One Juror Primal Fear: Official Clip - Just One Juror 1:47 Primal Fear: Official Clip - Powerful People Primal Fear: Official Clip - Powerful People 2:05 Primal Fear: Official Clip - Meeting "Roy" Primal Fear: Official Clip - Meeting "Roy" 2:11 Primal Fear: Official Clip - How Can You Do What You Do? Primal Fear: Official Clip - How Can You Do What You Do? 2:05 Primal Fear: Official Clip - The Tape Primal Fear: Official Clip - The Tape 2:11 Primal Fear: Official Clip - Prepping Aaron Primal Fear: Official Clip - Prepping Aaron 0:57 Primal Fear: Official Clip - A Woman With a Brain Primal Fear: Official Clip - A Woman With a Brain 1:45 View more videos
A Simple Plan 91% 81% A Simple Plan Watchlist TRAILER for A Simple Plan Night Falls on Manhattan 72% 64% Night Falls on Manhattan Watchlist Collateral 86% 84% Collateral Watchlist TRAILER for Collateral Internal Affairs 79% 58% Internal Affairs Watchlist True Crime 0% 41% True Crime Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.
Director
Gregory Hoblit
Producer
Gary Lucchesi, Robert McMinn
Screenwriter
Steve Shagan, Ann Biderman
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 3, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 2, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$56.1M
Runtime
2h 9m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround
Most Popular at Home Now