Primal Fear (1996): cast, story & where to watch
1996 · Film · ★ 7.7
Released in 1996, Primal Fear is a thriller, drama, crime and mystery film directed by Gregory Hoblit, running about 129 minutes. “Sooner or later, a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. 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.
Who’s in it. Primal Fear stars Richard Gere as Martin Vail, Laura Linney as Janet Venable, Edward Norton as Aaron and John Mahoney as Shaughnessy, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.7/10, Primal Fear has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $102.6M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential and Paramount+ Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Primal Fear page.
If you liked it. Fans of Primal Fear tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Primal Fear (1996)?
- In US, Primal Fear is available to stream on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium and Paramount Plus Essential, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Primal Fear worth watching?
- Primal Fear holds an audience score of 7.7 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy thriller, drama, crime and mystery. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Primal Fear?
- Primal Fear stars Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney and Alfre Woodard.
- When was Primal Fear released?
- Primal Fear was released in 1996, with a runtime of about 129 minutes.