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Primal Fear
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Metascore
47 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Edward Norton, Laura Linney, Richard Gere
  • Summary: Guilty? Innocent? Those questions aren't for high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail (Gere) to decide. His job is to defend - especially if a case will put his name in the headlines and further his career. When Vail hears that a penniless altar boy (Norton) is accused of murdering the local archbishop, he snaps up the case, eager for the media spotlight. Little does he know that it will uncover a viper's nest of corruption, pit him against a prosecutor (Linney) who's his ex-lover, and test all his skill, judgement and even his win-at-any-cost attitude. (Paramount)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 18
  3. Negative: 3 out of 18
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Stack
    100
    Riveting.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    58
    Gere taps into his charismatic-weasel mode, but director Gregory Hoblit fills the big screen with excellent TV actors (Andre Braugher, John Mahoney, Maura Tierney) and then gives them nothing interesting to do.
  3. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    25
    The violent story is long on nastiness, short on credibility.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. NickH
    8
    A 47 percent? Bull. This movie deserves to have those numbers flipped. 74% or higher, come on! I really liked it. Ed Norton was great.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. RJG
    8
    Don't be mislead by the 47 number above. This is as good a psycological thrillers as they get. Norton's performance is resourceful, convincing, and powerful. The plot is better than most movies in the genre.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. grandpajoe6191
    7
    "Primal Fear" is just a average lawyer thriller. But, as Tom Cruise did in "Jerry Maguire", it's the superb acting by Edward Norton that changes the tables of the movie's tone.… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes

See all 7 User Reviews

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