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Movies / On DVD / Primer
Primer

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Primer (2004)

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Reviews Counted:113

Fresh:81

Rotten:32

Average Rating:6.5/10

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

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for brief language

Runtime: 80 mins

Genre: Dramas

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... 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]

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

Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Anand Upadbyaya, Casey Gooden, Carrie Crawford, Jay Butler, John Carruth, Samantha Thomson

Director: Shane Carruth

Director: Shane Carruth
Screenwriter: Shane Carruth
Producer: Shane Carruth
Composer: Shane Carruth
Studio: ThinkFilm

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Release:

Apr 5, 2005

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Everything you think you know about modern science is about to unravel in this critically-acclaimed film about two young engineers and the consequences they face when they invent a machine that enables them to travel back in time.
  • Source: Warner Home Video
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Primer

    • T-Meter Critics
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    1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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    Some audiences may resent a film in which we can’t feel superior to anyone, but there’s enough material here to keep you stuck at the water cooler for months.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    07/15/04
    J. Alan Speer
    J. Alan Speer
    Apollo Guide

    In steady, assured hands and a well-thought-out script, time travel can make for sizzling tension and paradoxes that present mind-wringing puzzles.

    Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
    11/12/04
    Phil Villarreal
    Phil Villarreal
    Arizona Daily Star

    Has such an engaging, offbeat first half that it's all the more frustrating when it gets lost inside its own convolutions and delayed revelations.

    Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
    10/28/04
    Steve Murray
    Steve Murray
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's hard to always know what Primer is saying or where it's heading, but it looks fantastic while it unfolds and you won't be able to forget what you've witnessed.

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    10/24/04
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Austin Chronicle

    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 Source: BBC | comment Comment
    08/09/05
    Matthew Leyland
    Matthew Leyland
    BBC

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
    12/27/07
    Joe Lozito
    Joe Lozito
    Big Picture Big Sound

    What's impressive -- aside from the fact that Carruth got the thing made in the first place -- is that the movie's tone skates right between coherence and an appreciation for endless, even infinite possibilities.

    Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
    10/15/04
    Ty Burr
    Ty Burr
    Boston Globe
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    10/19/04
    Boston Phoenix

    The oomph in this clever conceit comes from the intensity of its lead characters.

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    10/08/04
    Susan Green
    Susan Green
    Boxoffice Magazine

    A terrific little film about afterhours industry, tenderfoot genius and, of course, the evil in men's souls.

    Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
    10/07/04
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer
    Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

    'Primer' is so convoluted that it makes 'Memento' look like 'The Straight Story.'

    Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
    11/05/04
    Rob Thomas
    Rob Thomas
    Capital Times (Madison, WI)

    Scary, puzzling, and different.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    06/04/07
    J. R. Jones
    J. R. Jones
    Chicago Reader

    It is maddening, fascinating and completely successful.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
    10/29/04
    Roger Ebert
    Roger Ebert
    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The screenplay is convoluted but fascinating.

    Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
    10/07/04
    David Sterritt
    David Sterritt
    Christian Science Monitor
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
    02/27/09
    Devin Faraci
    Devin Faraci
    CHUD
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed

    In the last act Carruth seems to be wandering in search of a way out of his box and enters the space warp of sci-fi breakdown.

    Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
    10/02/04
    Jules Brenner
    Jules Brenner
    Cinema Signals

    Discombobulating and mind-bending sci fi thriller. I think.

    Full Review Source: Cinemania | comment Comment
    07/22/09
    Dan Jardine
    Dan Jardine
    Cinemania

    'By avoiding cheesy revelations and typical characters arcs, Carruth has created a small but intelligent film bursting at the seams with ideas.'

    Full Review Source: Cinematic Reflections | comment Comment
    08/06/04
    Derek Smith
    Derek Smith
    Cinematic Reflections

    Una joya de ritmo y de temática.

    Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
    06/13/05
    Alex Ramirez
    Alex Ramirez
    Cinenganos
     
     
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    March 16, 2005: Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival 2005
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