Edward Norton is just so crazy good, and the ending is perfect. Twist endings can lose impact on rewatches, but Edward Norton is SO good that this one holds up even after all these years.
I root for Laura Linney the whole time though, because it's Laura Linney.
Primal Fear
Sooner or later, a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.
Rating
4.5 (1)
Release Date
3/6/1996Runtime
129 minsOverview
An arrogant, high-powered attorney takes on the case of a poor altar boy found running away from the scene of the grisly murder of the bishop who has taken him in. The case gets a lot more complex when the accused reveals that there may or may not have been a third person in the room.
Status
ReleasedOriginal Language
EnglishBudget
$30,000,000Revenue
$102,600,000Homepage
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How It Feels
Read from this film's synopsis, keywords and credits, and used to work out what it sits beside.
A slick courtroom thriller that plays with perception and truth, building tension through psychological games between lawyer, psychiatrist, and accused. A final twist reframes everything you thought you understood.
Mood
TenseParanoidUnsettling
Themes
JusticeIdentityCorruptionRedemption
Tone
Ironic
Pacing
Propulsive
Look
NaturalisticHigh-contrast
Structure
Linear
Heads up
Graphic violenceSexual contentAddiction
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