RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Primer
Primer

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Primer (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
70 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:27

Fresh:19

Rotten:8

Average Rating:6.4/10

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

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Exclusive Clip from Primer
    >
    Trailer: Primer
    >
    Primer Trailer
    >
1 - 3 of 3

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
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
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    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 Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
    02/08/08
    Michael Booth
    Michael Booth
    Denver Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Scary, puzzling, and different.

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

    An unapologetically cerebral movie of ideas.

    Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
    12/03/04
    Leah McLaren
    Leah McLaren
    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's one thing to admire what writer/director/composer/actor Shane Carruth wrought on his $1.98 digicam budget; it's quite another to have to sit through the mind-numbing results.

    Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
    12/03/04
    Peter Howell
    Peter Howell
    Toronto Star
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A jigsaw puzzle made of pieces that may or may not fit together, it assumes the intelligence and interest of its audience, a brave move that pays off big.

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    11/12/04
    Tom Long
    Tom Long
    Detroit News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Carruth challenges us to imagine the impossible, then asks us to consider the moral, ethical and spiritual implications of what we have witnessed, and put those considerations on equal footing with man's desire to go where no man has gone before.

    Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
    11/12/04
    Terry Lawson
    Terry Lawson
    Detroit Free Press
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Like watching something that's always on the verge of being a movie.

    Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
    11/12/04
    Robert Denerstein
    Robert Denerstein
    Denver Rocky Mountain News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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

    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 has all the hallmarks of an amateur production: questionable sound and picture quality, crude performances, and dubious editing.

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    10/27/04
    James Berardinelli
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Incredibly confusing but oddly compelling.

    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
    10/22/04
    Carina Chocano
    Carina Chocano
    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The first thing Shane Carruth should have done as a director was fire himself as an actor, because I think he gives a terrible performance.

    Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
    10/19/04
    Richard Roeper
    Richard Roeper
    Ebert & Roeper
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's dense, and in a way that doesn't begin to reward the effort required to untie it.

    Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
    10/15/04
    Michael O'Sullivan
    Michael O'Sullivan
    Washington Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    By turns inventive, confounding and obtuse, it doesn't always work, but it challenges, nonetheless.

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
    10/15/04
    Neva Chonin
    Neva Chonin
    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Writer-director Shane Carruth makes a low-tech, low-budget entry into a staple of science fiction and manages to make it feel like a genre you've never been to before.

    Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
    10/14/04
    Bruce Newman
    Bruce Newman
    San Jose Mercury News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A brilliant little indie thriller.

    Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
    10/14/04
    Steven Rea
    Steven Rea
    Philadelphia Inquirer
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Carruth has made a fascinating first film and a solid foundation for things to come.

    Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
    10/14/04
    Colin Covert
    Colin Covert
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Alluringly knotty.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    10/12/04
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    An impressive, if muddled, first effort from writer-­director-actor Shane Carruth.

    Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
    10/08/04
    Robert Dominguez
    Robert Dominguez
    New York Daily News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for Primer

    March 16, 2005: Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival 2005
    A 70-mm French comedy by Jacques Tati will open my 7th annual Overlooked Film Festival this April, and a Bollywood musical starring "the most beautiful woman in the... More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    66% 66% Public Enemies
    83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
    44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
    75% 75% Julie & Julia
    32% 32% Terminator Salvation

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
    78% 78% The Hangover
    49% 49% Taking Woodstock
    26% 26% The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
    47% 47% The Girl From Monaco

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    Sherlock Holmes

    Sherlock Holmes

    New clips from the detective reboot!

    Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

    Check out the brand new trailer now!

    Awards Tour

    Awards Tour

    Keep up with latest nominations and awards!

    Friday Harvest

    Friday Harvest

    This week's best pics, vids, and posters!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
    102
    • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
    1
    • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
    19
    • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
    32
    • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
    28
    • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
    9
    • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
    4
    • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
    61
    • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
    8
    • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
    26
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
    181
    • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
    145
    • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
    87
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
    70
    • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
    44
    • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
    39
    • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
    38
    • Awards Tour 2009: The Hurt Locker Dominates Boston Society of Film Critics
    18
    • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
    15
    • Awards Tour 2009: LAFCA: The Hurt Locker Tops List
    12
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
    21
    • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
    2
    • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
    17
    • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
    12
    • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
    23
    • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
    8
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    24
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    9
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • Primer at Rotten Tomatoes
    • Primer at IGN
    • Primer at AskMen

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    MSN's Year in Review
    MSN's Year in Review External Link

    Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

    Moviefone's Year End Movie Poll
    Moviefone's Year End Movie Poll External Link

    What were your favorites? Least favorites? The funniest and scariest? Moviefone wants to know!

    Tarantino's Characters
    Tarantino's Characters External Link

    Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

    Top 10 Movies of 2009
    Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

    TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

    Top 20 of the Decade
    Top 20 of the Decade External Link

    Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

    Promos
    Follow RT on Twitter
    Follow RT on Twitter External Link

    Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.