Primal Fear (1996)
Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews
Sooner or later, a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.
Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.
- Released: 1996-04-03
- Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Runtime: 2h 10m
- Status: Released
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10 from 4,172 votes
Directed by Gregory Hoblit.
Top cast
- Richard Gere as Martin Vail
- Laura Linney as Janet Venable
- Edward Norton as Aaron / Roy Stampler
- John Mahoney as Shaughnessy
- Alfre Woodard as Shoat
- Frances McDormand as Molly
- Terry O'Quinn as Yancy
- Andre Braugher as Goodman
- Steven Bauer as Pinero
- Joe Spano as Stenner
Where to watch Primal Fear
- United States: stream on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel; watch free on Kanopy; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- United Kingdom: stream on Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads; watch free on YouTube Free; rent on Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store; buy on Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store
- India: stream on Netflix; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Canada: stream on Netflix, Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Super Channel Plus, Super Channel Amazon Channel, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video
- Australia: watch free on ABC iview; rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fetch TV; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fetch TV
Movies like Primal Fear
If you enjoyed Primal Fear, these movies have a similar feel:
- Sleepers (1996)
- Thief (1981)
- The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)
- Monster (2021)
- Barron's Cove (2025)
- Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
- Butterfly on a Wheel (2007)
- Reasonable Doubt (2014)
- Inside Man (2023)
- Mystic River (2003)
- Gotti (1996)
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