Primal Fear
1996 · 130 min · Director: Gregory Hoblit
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
When a young man, Aaron, is charged with the horrific murder of Archbishop Rushman, hot-shot Chicago lawyer Martin Vail takes on his defense at no charge. Aaron was a homeless street kid before he was taken in by the Archbishop. He's shy and speaks with a stammer. Vail is convinced that Aaron is innocent but after discovering a video that shows Aaron may have had good reason to want the Archbishop dead, he begins to question that conclusion. When Aaron lashes out at the psychologist examining him another personality, Roy, is revealed. With the trial already underway, Vail cannot change Aaron plea and so has to find a way to introduce his client's condition. Aaron has something of a surprise for him as well.
Emotional fingerprint
Primal Fear (1996) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Tension 30%, Confusion 25%, Anxiety 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Tension30%
- Confusion25%
- Anxiety20%
- Surprise15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Tension, Confusion, Anxiety. Genres: Drama, Mystery, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Tension, Confusion and Anxiety. Its IMDb rating of 7.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 73/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Curiosity
- Tension
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Surprise
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Curiosity | Tension | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Curiosity | 27 % | 22 % | 12 % | 6 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 10′ | Curiosity | 38 % | 33 % | 28 % | 21 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Disturbing | 54 % | 51 % | 46 % | 38 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Curiosity | 57 % | 59 % | 46 % | 39 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 29′ | Curiosity | 54 % | 54 % | 45 % | 37 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Tension | 51 % | 47 % | 47 % | 28 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 42′ | Curiosity | 49 % | 49 % | 41 % | 19 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Curiosity | 52 % | 53 % | 39 % | 29 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Disturbing | 57 % | 53 % | 48 % | 42 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 62′ | Curiosity | 63 % | 56 % | 58 % | 47 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Disturbing | 74 % | 60 % | 69 % | 64 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 75′ | Disturbing | 75 % | 61 % | 69 % | 69 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 81′ | Curiosity | 62 % | 57 % | 53 % | 50 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Curiosity | 57 % | 55 % | 48 % | 47 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 94′ | Disturbing | 60 % | 55 % | 53 % | 52 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 101′ | Tension | 61 % | 55 % | 56 % | 44 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 107′ | Sympathy | 67 % | 54 % | 63 % | 47 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 114′ | Tension | 73 % | 51 % | 67 % | 54 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 120′ | Curiosity | 75 % | 47 % | 65 % | 57 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 127′ | Surprise | 83 % | 40 % | 69 % | 72 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Primal Fear. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
M.C.
Turner
Details
- Directed by
- Gregory Hoblit
- Written by
- Steve Shagan, Ann Biderman, William Diehl
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1996
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Tension
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
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