Primal Fear is a 1996 American neo-noir crime–thriller film, based on William Diehl‘s 1993 novel of the same name and directed by Gregory Hoblit.
The film tells the story of Chicago defense attorney who believes his altar boy client is not guilty of murdering an influential Catholic Archbishop.
Primal Fear was a box office success and earned mostly positive reviews, with Edward Norton making a strong showing in his film debut. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.[citation needed]