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Primer

Play trailer Poster for Primer PG-13 Now Playing 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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Dan P The only way is would use the word “cerebral” to describe this smug, waxing poetic, existential melodrama, is that its head is buried so far up its own ass it reached its brain. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/17/25 Full Review Mikael H I’m sure I would like it a heck of a lot more if I could understand how it all worked Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/13/25 Full Review Sayan B I love everything about this Movie. Two accidental Time Travellers : Engineers Aaron and Abe accidentally invent a time-travel "box" that sends objects minutes into the past or future. Human-Sized Duplication: They scale up the device, creating larger boxes and using them to duplicate themselves as "fail-safes" for experiments. Fractured Trust & Paradoxes: Exploiting time travel for profit, their trust erodes as paradoxes emerge from multiple versions of themselves interfering with events. Escalating Temporal Chaos: The timeline becomes a mess of duplicates and confrontations as Aaron manipulates past events, leading to a crucial "failsafe" intervention. Divergent Paths: Aaron, aiming to control events and correct mistakes, builds a new, advanced machine and leaves, while Abe is left to deal with the chaotic aftermath. I loved this film 📽️ ❤️ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/26/25 Full Review Austin D It's a true achievement to take a plot device so interesting and create such a boring film out of it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/21/25 Full Review Frans B You want to challenge your intellectual self a little?, watch this. The subject has been jaw-boned to death, but this one offers an unique angle of approach. Refreshing to say the least. You will have to watch it more than once, believe me ... Stunning movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/08/25 Full Review Joshua H I don't think I really understood the movie I just watched. I just found it weird and confusing as to what's going on especially near the end. Yeah I feel like this movie that probably better then this rating I just couldn't get it but it was interesting. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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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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