I was watching Primer and got all confused. Has that happened to you? Like whether with a particular scene or the whole movie?
I’m reminded of Homer Simpson watching Lynch’s Twin Peeks.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrH-UpdyMJ8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrH-UpdyMJ8)
Like Homer, I felt Primer was brilliant and yet I found myself lost. I think it’s the editing. It’s done on purpose I’m sure but doesn’t really make it easier for the first time viewer. At least in my opinion.
by ailuvlife
22 Comments
In fairness, everyone gets confused watching *Primer*. There are whole web pages devoted to trying to figure out what the hell happened.
I tried to watch Tenet and felt the same way.
Synecdoche, New York
First off, depressing as hell. Second, confusing as hell.
Watched it more than once and still don’t have all the pieces.
It’s not the editing. It’s a time-travel story of multiple time loops presented out of order, because time loops don’t really have an order
Watch it again. The clue is Aaron wearing an earphone
xkcd did a movie chart of timelines that includes primer [here](https://xkcd.com/657/).
Only movie I’ve ever watched again the next day.
One of my favorite movies of all time, The Big Sleep. It’s so unnecessarily confusing at times.
Last Year at Marienbad is a famous one
I got the generalities of Primer but it definitely took a few viewings and readings to piece it all together. The one that went completely over my head was Synecdoche New York. One of these days I’m gonna try that one again
I often think you have no idea what’s going on in a particular scene or whole movie.
I’ve watched the London City Girl explanation video a few times and still can’t follow the movie.
Fk yeah, Brick (2005, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt). I did not understand a single spoken word or plot point in that movie. Its completely incomprehensible, unbelievable, rediculous bullcrap.
That’s exactly what I loved about Primer. I unwittingly went to one of the first screenings of the movie, and Carruth was there at the end for a Q&A session. There were a lot of “WTF just happened” responses. 🙂 But I loved that the movie didn’t tie it all into a nice digestible package. You were just as mind fucked experiencing the movie as the main characters were in their experiences. And I think that was the point.
Same! So confused by the end, yet I loved it all the same. Have watched it nearly a dozen times over the years and still don’t have it fully straight in my head. I think part of it is how quickly things get crazy when time travel is involved.
primer is quite specifically a movie that nobody gets the first time around
Primer sucks. It’s truly an emperor’s new clothes type of situation. Most people are too scared to say it’s a bad movie. I’ll get many downvotes for saying this and some snide comments. But primer is the ultimate neck beard film.
Oh and the director has been charged with domestic abuse multiple times. So not only is he a shit film maker, he’s a shit human.
Tenet is needlessly confusing. Whenever I think back on it I just picture Nolan giggling in a corner as he screened it for critics.
I don’t know what’s going on in most David Lynch movies. I don’t even know if that matters.
Have you seen Mulholland Drive ?
https://new.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1wxpfc/detailed_explanationtimeline_of_shane_carruths/
Don’t watch his next movie Upstream Color then lol, it’s even more confusing and not very good in my opinion
The last act of The Boy and the Heron completely lost me, I didn’t understand what was happening or how it was related to the first 2 acts.