Rating of
3.5/4
Primer review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/29/12
In this rater's opinion, this picture is a cross between Back to the Future, The Prestige and a David Lynch movie without the necessary spectacular special effects. The key in comprehending this movie is by understanding the method of how the box works and where the "doubles" are. Aaron (Shane Carruth), Abe (David Sullivan) accidentally creates a machine that travels through time and that a watch experienced about 1300 times the amount of time the device was activated for. The pair manipulates this machine to become rich by in vesting in stock market. This has got to be one of the best movies done on time travel. The primary formula in making this type of movie work are the believability of the artists and intellectual dialogue despite not having any spectacular effects in the actual time travel. It's topics not only delve on the aforementioned, it also deals with the destruction of friendship based on power/tempting device, innovation, being philosophical and usage of time spent. Only flaw this critic thinks is the narration, which sometimes confuses the plot, and clarity of how Thomas Granger (Chip Carruth) discovered the box. Primer makes you think, re-watch to comprehend more, and imagine what it would be like if it happened to you. Not too many low budget films can make you have those feelings, which in case this picture and the talented director/actor/writer succeeds. Like Donnie Darko, this flick needs to be viewed repeatedly to enjoy it's brilliance, thus making this one of the likable cult classics that not everybody might know, but enjoy in the process.
