Primer

What happens if it actually works?

77 Mins
2004
en

star6.8/ 10

A group of fledgling inventors discover a complex method to manipulate reality. At first, they successfully game the stock market with it, but the consequences of the invention start to catch up with them.

Cast & Crew

Shane Carruth

Aaron

David Sullivan

Abe

Casey Gooden

Robert

Anand Upadhyaya

Philip

Carrie Crawford

Kara

Jay Butler

Metalshop Worker

Review

CinemaSerf

This has quite a clever concept - a group of four engineering friends are building a prototype piece of equipment. "Abe" (David Sullivan) discovers - accidentally - when testing it, that is has positively game-changing potential and confides his secret in his colleague "Aaron" (Shane Carruth). Rather than share this invention between the group, the two decide to relocate their gadget and use it to exploit the stock markets and make themselves rich. It demonstrates quite well, the conflicting values and morals that this sort of limitless opportunity might present if given to any one of us - but the characterisations are way too one-dimensional. The dialogue is relentless, and after a while you just want them to stop talking and get on with it. It's short - and does require a bit of concentration to get anything out of it - but more, I found, as a source of an ethical conversation about "what if?" than about anything to do with this piece of drama, itself.

James

Brilliant concept, yet so-so execution which would have been helped by a higher budget. However, this is a brilliant attempt at creating a time travel film with next to no money. While the film has its faults, the performances and dialogue are great and I love that it doesn’t expect its audience to be dumb; by the way, when I say that… I mean it. This is maybe the most confusing film of all time.

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