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Trailer

Primal Fear

1996Movie2 h 10 minR

CrimeDrama
71
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.7Letterboxd4.0/5Metacritic477.7Rotten Tomatoes77%89%
71
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.7Letterboxd4.0/5Metacritic477.7Rotten Tomatoes77%89%

Summary

Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago.

Good for

  • Friends night
  • Thought-provoking
  • Adults

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Cast

24 of 38

Crew

Directed by
Gregory Hoblit
Written by
William Diehl, Ann Biderman, Steve Shagan
Produced by
Gary Lucchesi
Music by
James Newton Howard

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

April 3, 1996 · 2 h 10 min · R

Released
April 3, 1996
Runtime
2 h 10 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery, Sexual Content
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Original language
English
Also spoken
Spanish
Made in
United States
Budget
$30 million
Box office
$103 million
Available in
77 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Foe Romance Subtext, Country Matters, Asshole Victim +9

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream Primal Fear?"

Questions about Primal Fear

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Primal Fear?

fuboTVParamount+KanopyHoopla

In the United States, Primal Fear streams on fuboTV and Paramount+, and it is free with ads on Kanopy and Hoopla. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 14 other countries.

Is Primal Fear worth watching?

71
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 71 (IMDb 7.7, Letterboxd 4.0 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 77%, and Metacritic 47). Audiences rate it higher (81 out of 100) than critics (62).

Will I feel good after watching Primal Fear?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 7 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Was Primal Fear a box office hit?

Budget$30 million
Box office$103 million

Yes: it cost about $30 million to make and earned $103 million worldwide, 3.4 times its budget.

What tropes does Primal Fear use?

Foe Romance SubtextCountry MattersAsshole VictimI Never Said It Was PoisonNoodle IncidentAmbulance ChaserCorrupt ChurchHome Porn MovieAdaptational Nice GuyPredatory ProstituteThe Bad Guy WinsPolice Brutalityand 58 more

TV Tropes lists 70 tropes for it, including Foe Romance Subtext, Country Matters, and Asshole Victim.