English 
Production
Sci-fi thriller
Primer (2004): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Primer is a 2004 sci-fi thriller starring David Sullivan, Shane Carruth and Casey Gooden. It runs 1 hour 17 minutes and earned $545,436 worldwide on a $7,000 budget. It earned 4 award nominations, including Best Debut Performance at the Spirit Awards 2005. Critics gave it 68 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
The story
What Is Primer About?
The premise of Primer without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Two engineers, Aaron and Abe, invent a device for error resolution that unexpectedly leads to the creation of a time machine. Driven by curiosity, they begin experimenting with the technology, but their actions have unforeseen and increasingly complex consequences. As they manipulate time, they struggle to understand and control the ramifications of their discoveries, leading to a mind-bending exploration of causality and the potential dangers of unchecked scientific ambition.
Primer Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- time travel
- changing the future
- nonlinear timeline
- independent film
- directorial debut
- time travel sci fi
- invention
- unintended-consequences
- low budget film
- directed by star
- voice over narration
- cult film
+38 more Show fewer
- time traveler
- backward time travel
- engineer
- stock market
- engineering
- time machine
- storage unit
- discovery
- brainstorming
- working from garage
- everything is not what it seems
- buying stock
- voice recording
- drugged
- meticulous planning
- weeble
- fungus
- scrounging
- palladium
- garage laboratory
- soldering
- circuit board
- flashback
- hotel room
- experimental film
- ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship
- cell phone
- binoculars
- identity crisis
- technician
- shotgun
- party
- failsafe
- earphone
- causality
- time loop
- storage facility
- stock trading
Where to watch
Where to Watch Primer
Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Cast & crew
Primer Cast
David Sullivan leads the cast, with Shane Carruth and Casey Gooden.
Ratings
Primer Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Primer 68 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
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IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 68 Metascore
User score 7.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 68% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Primer Plot Summary
What happens in Primer from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Four engineers—Aaron, Abe, Robert, and Phillip—lead a dual life, working for a large corporation by day while running a side business from Aaron’s garage at night, where they craft and sell JTAG cards. The earnings from this venture are funneled into pet science projects in the hopes of garnering attention from venture capitalists.
Tensions rise when the group can’t agree on what project to tackle next, prompting Aaron and Abe to work separately on technology aimed at reducing an object’s weight. Their invention shows promise, but it produces an unexpected side effect: a timepiece left within the device registers a time increase of approximately 1,300 times the activation duration. This leads Abe to the realization that they have stumbled upon a time machine.
Full summary
The whole story of Primer, scene by scene
Box office
Primer Box Office & Budget
Primer grossed $545,436 worldwide on a $7,000 budget, 78 times what it cost. $424,760 came from the US and Canada and $120,676 (22%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$545.4K
78× its budget
- US & Canada
- $424.8K
- International
- $120.7K
- Budget
- $7K
US & Canada 78%
Rest of the world 22%
Awards
Primer Awards & Nominations
Primer earned 4 award nominations, including Best Debut Performance at the Spirit Awards 2005.
4 nominations1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 2005 4 nominations- Nominated Best Debut Performance – David Sullivan
- Nominated Best Director – Shane Carruth
- Nominated Best Feature
- Nominated Best First Screenplay – Shane Carruth
Videos
Primer Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Primer.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Primer?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What invention do Aaron and Abe initially work on?
Cars
Cars in Primer
8 cars on screen, including the 2000 Chevrolet Silverado and the 1997 Nissan Maxima.
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2000 Chevrolet Silverado Important role -
1997 Nissan Maxima Important role -
1990 Nissan Truck Minor role -
1997 Dodge Avenger Background role
Details
Primer Also Known As
46 alternative titles, including “Como si fuera la primera vez” and “Cheotkisuman 50baenjjae”.
- Also known as
-
- Como si fuera la primera vez
- Cheotkisuman 50baenjjae
- Mereu la prima întâlnire
- 50 pŭrvi sreshti
- Káthe Forá
- Próti Forá
- 50 pervykh potseluyev
- Pedeset prvih sastanaka
- 50 pershykh potsilunkiv
- 50 krát a stále po prvý raz
- 50 เดท จีบเธอไม่เคยจำ
- 50回目のファースト・キス
+34 more Show fewer
- 50x a stále poprvé
- 첫키스만 50번째
- 50 առաջին ժամադրությունները
- 50 erste Dates
- 50 volte il primo bacio
- 50 primeras citas
- 50 первых поцелуев
- A Minha Namorada Tem Amnésia
- 50 İlk Öpücük
- Az 50 első randi
- 50 pierwszych randek
- Amour & Amnésie
- 初恋50次
- 50× a stále poprvé
- 50 דייטים ראשונים
- Κάθε Φορά
- Πρώτη Φορά
- Como Se Fosse a Primeira Vez
- ５０回目のファースト・キス
- Les 50 premiers rendez-vous
- 50 перших поцілунків
- 50 първи срещи
- 첫 키스만 50번째
- Aina eka kerta
- Visados kaip pirmą kartą
- 50x a stále po prvý raz
- 我的失憶女友
- 每天愛妳第一次
- 50 prvih poljubaca
- Mu pruudil on mälukas
- Педесет првих састанака
- 50 prvih poljubov
- 50 Lần Hẹn Đầu Tiên
- Kārtējais pirmais randiņš
Seen Primer?
More like this
Movies Like Primer
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Time Chasers, Project Almanac and The Time Machine.
From the blog
Articles About Primer
Our article about Primer: “Exploring the World of Microbudget Filmmaking”.
FAQ
Primer FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Primer, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Primer?
Primer runs 1 hour 17 minutes (77 minutes).
When was Primer released?
Primer was released on October 8, 2004.
Who is in the cast of Primer?
Primer stars David Sullivan, Shane Carruth and Casey Gooden, among 4 credited actors.
Where can I watch Primer?
In the US, Primer is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Primer make at the box office?
Primer grossed $545,436 worldwide ($424,760 domestic, $120,676 international) on a budget of $7,000.
How is Primer rated?
Primer has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 68 on Metacritic and 68% on TMDB.
Was Primer nominated for any awards?
Primer received 4 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does Primer have a post-credit scene?
No. Primer has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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