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Primer

Starring: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan
Director: Shane Carruth
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 2004
Rating: 5 / 5

Normally, I am the strongest advocate of viewing a film at a theatre, as this heightens the experience and represents the artist’s true vision of a movie. In my prime, I was viewing upwards of fifty movies each year at the theatre, and while some may have been less then stellar, I almost always enjoyed the moment. With Primer, a 2004 award winner at the Sundance Film Festival, I am so happy that I did not see it until it reached video stores. One might think that this is a comment about the film’s quality, but rather, it speaks to the film’s complexity. Only after repeated viewings of several key sequences was I able to grasp the nature of the film’s twisted plot, with each viewing giving me a deeper and deeper appreciation for the year’s best film.

Made for only $7,000, Primer is a true testament to the power of good storytelling over special effects and big-name stars. Director Shane Carruth, who also wrote, scored, and starred in the film, spins a mesmerizing tale of four friends hoping to develop the invention that will define their lives and make them successful. As we descend upon their world, they are in the midst of working on their latest offering, one which clearly does “something,” but one which they cannot truly define. In what must surely be a regular occurrence, they are mailing letters to prospective investors, hoping to drum up interest in their project. After all, these four men all have regular jobs, they are working on a shoestring budget, and they are not even sure what they have in front of them.

Two of the friends, Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan), begin to realize some very strange things about one of the inventions. Inside a tiny metal box, time passes differently then it does on the outside world. One minute in real time is equal to hours inside the box, baffling the two friends and leading to even more questions. With this device, would they be able to manipulate time? If they are able to harness it, might they actually be able to travel back in time? What follows is a sequence of events during which the two men put their knowledge – and, ultimately, their friendship – to the test. Only when they begin to see the true power that this invention holds do they also begin to realize the very real dangers that it poses, setting in motion the film’s final chilling scenes.

Primer is a mind-bending film, just as fellow independent hit Memento was several years before. The film offers just enough information to allow audience members to figure out what is going on without spoon-feeding every little detail. We are left to figure out for ourselves just what these men are developing, just as we are left to our own devices when it comes to unraveling the film’s twisted conclusion. Its low-budget feel only serves to increase the tension, and the actors’ relative anonymity further clouds the film’s direction. What remains is a subtle, careful buildup, one that leads to inevitable conflict and some eye-opening moments for the audience. Primer spins a tale that absorbs us from the outset, maintaining its hold even beyond the closing credits.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13 for language.
Running Time: 78 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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