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Primer

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Primer (2004)

72%
70%
80%
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72 %
Reviews Counted: 115 Fresh: 83  Rotten:32 Average Rating: 6.6/10
 
Consensus: Dense, obtuse, but stimulating, Primer is a film for viewers ready for a cerebral challenge.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 80 mins

Theatrical Release: Oct 8, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $392,420

Synopsis: Former engineer Shane Carruth announces himself as a force to watch with PRIMER, his first film. Carruth wrote, directed, edited, produced, photographed, scored, and stars in the film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. He plays Aaron, who, with his business... Former engineer Shane Carruth announces himself as a force to watch with PRIMER, his first film. Carruth wrote, directed, edited, produced, photographed, scored, and stars in the film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. He plays Aaron, who, with his business partner and best friend, Abe (David Sullivan), experiments with a device that seems to have more power than they could ever have imagined. Playing with batteries, refrigeration, and other techniques and materials in Aaron's garage, they discover that their machine just might have the ability to move back in time. Originally dealing with Weebles figures and wristwatches, Aaron and Abe are soon considering making a box large enough to transport a human being--with remarkable results. An indie hit, PRIMER was made for about $7,000. Carruth shot the film with a purposefully grainy look, as if it were made in the 1970s. The retro feel works well with the futuristic elements of the story, which lead Abe and Aaron to question reality, truth, and their own physical and mental being. Because he learned about film on his own without going to film school or making any previous shorts, Carruth brings a freshness to the genre that is invigorating, with unexpected plot twists and complex narratives that invite multiple viewings. PRIMER is an unusual, unique, challenging, and thoroughly entertaining movie. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Anand Upadbyaya, Casey Gooden, Carrie Crawford

Director: Shane Carruth
Screenwriter: Shane Carruth
Producer: Shane Carruth
Composer: Shane Carruth

DVD Info

Release:

Apr 5, 2005

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region (unknown)
  • Keep Case
  • Full Frame - 1.33

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image
N/A

Mind-bending thrillers like Primer are terrific viewing with your teenagers. Maybe if you're nice, they'll explain the ending to you.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/08/08
Michael Booth
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Ratings Image
N/A

Scary, puzzling, and different.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/04/07
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
1.5/4

ridiculous, confusing, vaguely noir-ish nonsense

Full Review | comment Comment
09/11/06
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal
Ratings Image
3/4

Shane Carruth's ultra-low budget, 78-minute sci-fi film could almost be a 'B' movie from the past if not for its icy intelligence.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
N/A

This film imagines its viewers to be smart, possessed of a decent attention span and game for a challenge. It doesn’t happen all that often.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/09/06
Jessica Winter
Time Out
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/17/06
Sydney Morning Herald
Ratings Image
N/A

Primer isn’t for everyone, but for those who enjoy a complex, tricky plot, it marks the debut of an exciting new talent.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/16/05
Jeremy C. Fox
Pajiba
Ratings Image
N/A

Shane Carruth's Primer is a science fiction movie like no other, pushing its experimental tendencies as far as they can go without betraying the genre

Full Review | comment Comment
08/30/05
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Ratings Image
4/5

Confident and well-woven.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/25/05
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
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4/5

One of the most original and intriguing film debuts of the last few years.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/20/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
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3/5

Not recommended for entry-level time-travel theorists, but experienced ‘chrononauts’ will meet themselves scratching their heads in amused puzzlement as they emerge from an earlier screening.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/19/05
Empire Magazine
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2/5

One of the most wilfully obscure sci-fi movies ever made, Primer will either blow your mind or drive you out of it.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/09/05
Matthew Leyland
BBC
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3.5/5

If he could've made some sense of it in the end, Carruth'd have a masterpiece on his hands.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/28/05
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
2/5

Even at a short 77 minutes, Primer is bloated, draggy, cumbersome, confusing, and almost entirely unengaging

Full Review | comment Comment
06/20/05
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
4/5

Una joya de ritmo y de temática.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/13/05
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos
Ratings Image
N/A

I didn't understand Primer; worse yet, I didn't care.

comment Comment
06/01/05
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian
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B

Primer est un film difficile à détester, mais encore plus difficile à pleinement apprécier.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/25/05
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
Panorama
Ratings Image
N/A

One of the best science fiction films I have seen, and certainly as one of the genre's best in recent years.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/24/05
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Ratings Image
4/4

Only after watching this film did I realize the even more amazing story.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/21/05
Steven Snyder
Zertinet Movies
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Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival 2005
posted by RT Staff March 16, 2005
A 70-mm French comedy by Jacques Tati will open my 7th annual Overlooked Film Festival this April, and a Bollywood...

Around the Network

• Primer at Rotten Tomatoes
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• Primer at AskMen
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