Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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.

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Primer

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Scott Tobias AV Club Primer gains its seductive power by leaving the solution tantalizingly out of reach. Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Andrew Pulver Guardian Primer is off-putting: in trying to be elusive it's simply obstructive. Rated: 2/5 Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Peter Bradshaw Guardian An exhilarating, disturbing and funny experience. Jun 16, 2017 Full Review Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (4) 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 Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (5) 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 Primer | Rotten Tomatoes (6) 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tomaz B Not for me unfortunately. After 30 minutes, I decided I had enough of this movie. There's absolutely no emotions, nothing that would make me like any of the characters and the whole story is just too complicated and moving too quickly. The movie itself feels like a high school project, probably because of the budget. If you're smart and understand time travel and mechanical engineering, give it a try, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/11/25 Full Review Gabriel W This is the most intricate and mind-bending time travel movie I’ve ever encountered. It demands your full attention, and you’ll likely find yourself eager to watch it again—or at least dive into a YouTube explanation—to fully grasp its complexity. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review Kyle C Man, you need a PhD to understand this movie. Or at least a whiteboard.I’ll admit that I looked up an explanation afterward and appreciated the film a lot more once I really got it. The story is told in an interesting way: extremely subtly and conspicuously. You’re learning a lot but it mostly feels like you’re just dropping in on random parts of conversations. But looking back, every scene is intentional and stuffed with little details that won’t make sense until the end of the film (or perhaps the start of your next viewing).I love the casualness and down-to-earth performances; they really feel like random desk jockeys working on a side project. The narration gives a feeling of inevitability to everything, ironically so by the end. For once, this is a time travel movie that actually makes sense, eventually. It’s not easy to understand, but it is consistent and self-contained, something which I really appreciate.My only major complaint (once I understood the plot) is that it feels like it ends just as it’s getting going somewhere. It’s got a short runtime to begin with, but it ends without exploring many of the doors that it’s opened. I would have preferred a bit more climax or conflict, but then it’s just over. But regardless, I really enjoyed the technical nature of this film along with its detail-driven story and simplistic directing. I’d definitely recommend it, but get your notepad ready. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/15/24 Full Review Scott M There is a lot of scientific dialog in this movie. The acting I think is what hurts the movie the most. It's so robotic. No emotions. They discover time travel and dont seem to care. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Audience Member The film is hard to follow not because of any clever or deep writing, but instead because the editing is utterly terrible. The characters spout technical jargon for too long without serving the plot or theme. All the dialogue is dry and dull, never giving us the slightest reason to care about any of the characters. This movie won't stir any emotions in you, it won't inspire your imagination, it won't make you reflect on life, and it won't even make you uncomfortable. Its storytelling style is woefully incompetent. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review david c I loved this. I wish I hadn’t known it was about a time machine beforehand, as it would’ve been great to figure that out early on. You notice changes in the background, but it’s impossible to catch all the details in one viewing. The dialogue, acting and pace were good enough to keep me interested.Go into it prepared to focus, as there are no exposition dumps to make things easier. The plot and story are solid, but you’ll need to pay attention to keep up. It’s refreshing to be see a film that assumes you have a brain. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

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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