Review of Primal Fear (1996) by Esa K — 19 Jun 2016

It was a one-night stand...it just lasted 6 months...

What appears to be an open and shut case when an altar boy is seen bloody fleeing the scene of a crime that led to a dead priest is anything but obvious. A defense lawyer takes the case for no money with a point to prove, but shortly after entering his plea, he realizes there is more to this case then he could have ever imagined and he may have stepped on a landmine from the very beginning.

"I haven't seen this many lawyers and politicians together since this morning at confession.".

Gregory Hoblit, director of Fallen, Hart's War, Fracture, Untraceable, Frequency, Class of '61, Roe vs. Wade, and NYPD 2069, delivers Primal Fear. The storyline for this picture is outstanding with some wonderful twists and turns and great character development. The cast delivers outstanding performances and includes Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Andre Braugher, and Joe Spano.

"Why gamble with money when you can gamble with people's lives?".

My best friend in college always adored this picture and I had seen it before and had to see it again for the first time in a long time. I had forgotten how great this film is. Norton is excellent in this film and it is great in a Fight Club/Usual Suspects kind of way. This is a very underrated thriller that is a must see and borderline worth adding to the collection.

"You want justice, go to a whore house. You want to get fucked, go to court.".

Grade: A.