Now that I think about it, the 90s were the decade of legal thrillers. A genre that was somewhat forgotten after its initial boom in the fifties, came back with a bang. I think that the popularity of various courtroom television shows made producers take notice of it. Primal Fear is a suspenseful not just legal but also psychological thriller full of great performances. It’s about Martin Vail, a hot-shot defense lawyer who decides to defend a young man accused of a horrific murder. Police believe Aaron Stampler, a young altar boy from Kentucky, viciously murdered Archbishop Rushman. After all, he was caught all bloody fleeing the crime scene.
Primal Fear explores issues that are still relevant, some thirty years later. It’s a sprawling movie encompassing a lot of different topics and characters. It also has a strong psychological aspect delving deep into the personalities of our protagonists. Starting with Mr. Vail, a defense lawyer willing to represent not just mob bosses but also high-profile murder suspects. His client, Mr. Stampler is also quite interesting. I dare not go into details although I think you already know what’s up. I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. And yet, that was not the case in the nineties when these subjects were still off-limits.
This movie’s biggest quality is its ability to keep you engaged for two hours. You will constantly be guessing and trying to figure out what exactly is going on and why. The script was excellent along with the character development. I already mentioned the performances but I simply have to do it again. Mostly because this was Edward Norton’s debut role. Yes, you read that right this was his first time on the big screen and he fucking nailed it. No wonder he became one of the best character actors in the coming decades. First came American History X and then his arguably most popular movie, Fincher’s Fight Club.
Gere was his usual self along with Laura Linney who plays the tough prosecutor on this case. Primal Fear is actually based on William Diehl’s novel of the same name. Director Gregory Hoblit along with writers Steve Shagan and Ann Biderman did a terrific job of condensing a relatively complex story into an understandable and gripping movie. Oh yeah, this was Hoblit debut movie. So, we’ve got two first-timers here showing their talent and skill. And it’s a true pleasure to watch them do it. On top of that, Primal Fear has that big movie vibe. The production values are top-notch and the setting was quite familiar.
Chicago is such a memorable city it’s no wonder a lot of movies chose it as its home base. When you put all of this together you get a gripping movie that you’ll surely remember. And there are not a lot of those. Especially when it comes to the topics this one explores. Sure, they might’ve crammed a bit too much of them in there but at least you won’t be bored. And, thanks to the great direction by Hoblit, you’ll be able to follow both the main plot and the many subplots. Just a couple of weeks ago, I finished watching the second season of the TV show Monsters. It was about The Menendez Brothers, following the events shortly before the murders and the subsequent trial.
It also features a hot-shot defense lawyer specializing in difficult cases, a lot of twists, and psychological aspects. So, you might check it out as it’s quite similar in a sense to the movie we talked about today. Finally, there’s one movie that I must recommend to you and I also must warn you about it. Sleepers is a masterpiece that’s going to stay with you for a long time. I know it sure did with me as it was the first time I saw something like that.
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Writers: William Diehl, Steve Shagan, Ann Biderman
Cast: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Frances McDormand, Andre Braugher
Fun Facts: More than 2000 actors auditioned for the role of Aaron Stampler and among them were Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Edward Furlong, and Danny Masterson.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117381/
