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.
Primer (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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.
Runtime: 80 mins
Genre: Dramas
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
Reviews for Primer
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.
One of the most original and intriguing film debuts of the last few years.
If he could've made some sense of it in the end, Carruth'd have a masterpiece on his hands.
One of the most wilfully obscure sci-fi movies ever made, Primer will either blow your mind or drive you out of it.
The real-deal dialogue as well as the tight, grainy shots make you feel like you're eavesdropping on a big secret. And it adds a haunting quality viewers will find impossible to shake.
An ingenious first film made on a budget of about $7,000 by a former engineer and self-taught filmmaker about the perils of ingenuity.
[The film] is Mullholland Dr. for math geeks, Memento for mad geniuses, or simply one of the most inventive films ever made for pennies on the Hollywood dollar.
May very well be one of the best American movies of the year, and I'll be damned if I understood more than 40 percent of it.
There have of course been time-travel movies before, but never one in which the ramifications are so visceral and raw.
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.
A terrific little film about afterhours industry, tenderfoot genius and, of course, the evil in men's souls.
The movie is hard to describe and even harder to fully grasp. It's not for everybody, but could be a cult hit amongst the pocket-protector crowd.
This no-budget brainteaser from Dallas native Shane Carruth offers ample intellectual rewards.
Carruth has made a fascinating first film and a solid foundation for things to come.
Even as Primer's plot ends up seeming contrived, that is, arguably, the thematic point: stories are always unstable and untrustworthy.
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...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

