
Primal
Seen it?2010 | 80 min | Thriller, Horror
Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (75% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a lukewarm 48% audience score. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Right up the alley of anyone who loves a world with magic in it and animal lovers. Its magic has rules, and the story plays by them. Fans of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Peeping Tom should feel right at home. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Keeps the tension tight, at 1 hr 20 min. An easy one to fit in on a school night.
- What might put you off
- Skip it if you want something to relax to.
Anja and five friends join anthroplogy student, Dace, on a journey to study a remote, ancient rock painting. Their excitement vanishes when Mel becomes delirious after skinny-dipping in the waterhole. Feverish, bleeding, confused, she physically and mentally regresses to a vicious predatory state. Mel has gone primal. Mel’s lover and friends realise they are the prey as she savagely hunts them down. Before they can escape another one of them starts to regress, posing a hideous choice; kill their friends or be killed by them. Their only hope of survival is through a cave, where Anja learns too late the meaning of the ancient rock art they came to study.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
75% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
Our audience score: 48%
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 21K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Invasion of the Body SnatchersFriday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed horror thriller.
Night of the DemonSunday Safe BetAnother horror film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Peeping TomFriday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed horror thriller.
The Incredible Shrinking ManSaturday SpecialAnother horror film, and a Saturday Special.
PyewacketSunday Safe BetAnother horror thriller, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Josh Reed
- Zoe Tuckwell-SmithAnja
- Krew BoylanMel
- Will TravelDace
- Damien FreeleagusWarren
- Rebekah FoordKris
- Lindsay FarrisChad