Primer

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Primer

PG-13

Released Jan 16, 2004

1h 18m

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Critics Consensus

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

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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

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Rock H

Primer is what happens when two mid-level IT guys stumble into a time loop and decide to whisper through the whole movie so no one can tell they’re bullshitting. The science feels like it was cribbed from a C+ science fair project, and the dialogue is like watching 11th graders act out a fantasy of what smart people sound like. If you’re into cardboard pacing, mumbled jargon, and zero emotional stakes, buckle up. Everyone else—go rewatch The Langoliers and enjoy actual cosmic dread. Normally on RT I align with audience scores (popcornometer). This time I don’t. And I can’t even imagine why this has a 79% 🍿rating. 🤷🏼‍♂️ If you asked me without looking, I’d guess it had a 13% 🍿

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

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

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Shane Carruth

Director

Shane Carruth

Aaron

David Sullivan

Abe

Casey Gooden

Robert

Anand Upadhyaya

Phillip

Carrie Crawford

Kara

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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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