Questions tagged [primer]

For use on questions about Primer, the 2004 film about time travel’s accidental discovery directed by Shane Carruth which won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize that year.

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Is there a significant difference between the version of Aaron seen in the first bench scene and the version of Aaron seen in the second bench scene?

A key scene in the movie Primer is when Aaron is trying to convince Abe to invite Rachel to the party. The following dialogue takes place at about the 1:08:45 mark. AARON: I mean this way we know ...
Otis's user avatar
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4 votes
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What are the faint spoken lines under the playback of Aaron's recording in the second bench scene?

In the scene in Primer where Abe collapses after encountering Aaron at the bench the "second" time, the camera focuses on the swinging earpiece while the soundtrack plays a tinny version of ...
Otis's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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What are Abe and Aaron saying to each other just before Aaron intercepts the gunman at the party?

In the scene in Primer in which Aaron stops the gunman at the party, the narrator mentions "last minute moral debate" as Abe and Aaron are shown talking to each other. Only the narrator's ...
Otis's user avatar
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1 vote
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A question about the nature of time travel in the movie Primer [duplicate]

Thankfully my double hasn't shown up to stop me from embarrassing myself so here goes. On quite a few sites describing the nature of time travel in Primer, including at least one that describes itself ...
Taylor Golden's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
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In Primer (2004) what do they mean by time moving "parabolically" inside the box?

During the scene where the mechanics of the box are explained, Abe mentions that whatever is in the box moves parabolically between 'time A' and 'time B'. What does he mean by this? I've been assuming ...
Sam Kennedy's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
856 views

What was Abe and Aaron's discussion at the end of Primer about?

Near the end of Primer, Abe and Aaron are at an airport, discussing and disagreeing on what actions to take. What's the nature of this discussion? I don't understand it at all. Aaron: You're ...
tobiasvl's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
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In Primer, how do you physically get in the box?

So I've watched a couple videos and I think I have a pretty firm handle on the plot structure of Primer, but I'm still confused about some of the details about time travel. Suppose it's 4:59pm and ...
SciFan's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
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In the movie Primer, how could the fungus secrete that much protein in little time?

In the movie, they said that they were able to wipe off "five to six years" worth of protein from the experiment. I'm not sure how long, even if they are running the experiment for days or even months ...
Chronos's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
218 views

Will Abe quit trying to get the Box to work?

At the end of Primer, there are two Abes and at least three Aarons. Box-Abe tells not-narrating-Box-Aaron that he's staying to watch over everyone and to sabotage not-Box-Abe's Box so that he and not-...
John Sensebe's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
263 views

Whose idea was The Box?

At the beginning of Primer, we learn that it's Robert's turn to choose the project for the group, and Aaron and Abe clearly don't want to build it. Regardless, they never seem to tell him "no", and ...
phantom42's user avatar
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What was the box intended to do?

As Aaron and Abe build The Box™, they seem to constantly be surprised at its behavior and abilities. As they discover its abilities, they start dreaming up possible uses. Given that they are so ...
phantom42's user avatar
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4 votes
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Would Aaron encounter the same time-travelling Abe later, if Abe leaves their timeline first?

I first thought of this question when rewatching the part where Abe shows Aaron the mold growth on the weeble--based on the technician saying "it is a joke" etc, we know that Aaron planted the mold to ...
Flash's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
2k views

How is the Thomas Granger coma/"recursive" problem in Primer caused by a paradox?

In the movie, Thomas Granger gets knocked out simply by getting too close to Aaron. The narrator then states that the problem was "recursive"; also, some viewer explanations state that Granger falls ...
Flash's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
646 views

How would Abe's Plan to Punch Platts Work?

Here is an excerpt from the Primer explanation: Abe then puts forward a confusing and potentially dangerous plan to visit Joseph Platts at his home, punch him in the face, then, around 03:00 Friday,...
DJRyan's user avatar
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10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why are the boxes in "Primer" recyclable?

In the film Primer, past time travel is achieved by means of powered boxes: you switch the box on at the "destination time", switch it off some time later, enter, wait for the same amount of time, and ...
Kerrek SB's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
1k views

In Primer, why aren’t there six Aarons?

At the end of Primer, we know that “Primer” gets locked in the attic, thus “Hooded” (and later “Earpiece”) wouldn’t be able to exist if — like in most on-screen time-travel — he needs to enter the ...
Math chiller's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

Will Thomas Granger still be sent back in time?

In the movie Primer, at first, just as in any timeline, what Abe and Aaron experience is always determined by the past. However, as the boxes are developed and the characters start looping back, it ...
S0L1D's user avatar
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