Primal Fear (1996): movie guide

What is Primal Fear about?

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.

Cast highlights

Primal Fear features Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand. Open the Cinema Box title page for the full cast list and character credits.

Key facts

Release date: 1996-04-03. Runtime: 130 minutes. TMDB score: 7.7/10 (4,265 votes). Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller. Original language: en. Status: Released.

Discover Primal Fear on Cinema Box

Cinema Box is a movie and TV discovery app for Android. Use it to browse Primal Fear, watch official trailers when available, save titles to your list, and plan what to watch — without hosting or streaming full films.

Frequently asked questions

What genre is Primal Fear?

Primal Fear is listed as Crime, Drama, Thriller on TMDB.

How long is Primal Fear?

Primal Fear runs about 130 minutes.

Who stars in Primal Fear?

Cast highlights include Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand.

Does Cinema Box stream Primal Fear?

No. Cinema Box is discovery-only — trailers, details, ratings, and watchlists. It does not host or stream full movies.

Where can I track Primal Fear?

Open the Primal Fear page on cinemabox.app or install the official Cinema Box Android app from Google Play for watchlists and discovery tools.