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Primer

Play trailer Poster for Primer PG-13 Released Jan 16, 2004 1h 18m Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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72% Tomatometer 130 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Intellectual engineers Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan) build and sell error-checking technology with the help of their friends Robert (Casey Gooden) and Phillip (Anand Upadhyaya). But when Aaron and Abe accidentally invent what they think is a time machine, Abe builds a version capable of transporting a human and puts the device to the test. As the two friends obsess over their creation, they discover the dark consequences of their actions.

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Primer

Primer

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Critics Consensus

Dense, obtuse, but stimulating, Primer is a film for viewers ready for a cerebral challenge.

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Critics Reviews

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Scott Tobias AV Club Primer gains its seductive power by leaving the solution tantalizingly out of reach. Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Andrew Pulver Guardian Primer is off-putting: in trying to be elusive it's simply obstructive. Rated: 2/5 Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian An exhilarating, disturbing and funny experience. Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins The storytelling is so confusing and the multiple timelines are so numerous that sorting out what exactly unfolds saps all the entertainment value. Rated: 5/10 Nov 9, 2020 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Certainly there are many flaws with this project, most from a technical standpoint and obviously due to the budget, but despite those shortcomings, Primer still stands out as the most intellectually stimulating film of the year. Nov 14, 2019 Full Review Paul Dale The List Carruth's downbeat and unique debut feature is something of an anomaly in the low budget U.S. indie filmmaking scene: Played out like a deadpan, almost naturalistic political thriller... Rated: 4/5 Apr 26, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Scott M There is a lot of scientific dialog in this movie. The acting I think is what hurts the movie the most. It's so robotic. No emotions. They discover time travel and dont seem to care. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Audience Member The film is hard to follow not because of any clever or deep writing, but instead because the editing is utterly terrible. The characters spout technical jargon for too long without serving the plot or theme. All the dialogue is dry and dull, never giving us the slightest reason to care about any of the characters. This movie won't stir any emotions in you, it won't inspire your imagination, it won't make you reflect on life, and it won't even make you uncomfortable. Its storytelling style is woefully incompetent. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review david c I loved this. I wish I hadn’t known it was about a time machine beforehand, as it would’ve been great to figure that out early on. You notice changes in the background, but it’s impossible to catch all the details in one viewing. The dialogue, acting and pace were good enough to keep me interested. Go into it prepared to focus, as there are no exposition dumps to make things easier. The plot and story are solid, but you’ll need to pay attention to keep up. It’s refreshing to be see a film that assumes you have a brain. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review jeppe s Very entertaining albeit quite complicated story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but felt like a needed a tour guide. I'm also not convinced everything quite checks out, but who cares. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't like the solutions served up too easily Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/05/24 Full Review Robert E Absolutely one of my favourite movies! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/02/24 Full Review Pete H Mind bending, well thought out and well executed. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/02/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Primer

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Movie Info

Synopsis Intellectual engineers Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan) build and sell error-checking technology with the help of their friends Robert (Casey Gooden) and Phillip (Anand Upadhyaya). But when Aaron and Abe accidentally invent what they think is a time machine, Abe builds a version capable of transporting a human and puts the device to the test. As the two friends obsess over their creation, they discover the dark consequences of their actions.
Director
Shane Carruth
Producer
Shane Carruth
Screenwriter
Shane Carruth
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Production Co
ERBP
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Language)
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 16, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$424.8K
Runtime
1h 18m
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