William Diehl has written five previous best-sellers, each of them superb, selling millions of copies around the world. Yet nothing he has done before can prepare you for Primal Fear. In Chicago, a sainted archbishop is slain, mutilated, and dismembered in his rectory. Moments after the murder, an angelic-looking young man, Aaron Sampler, is found crouched in a confessional, covered with blood and clutching a butcher knife - but swearing he is innocent of the heinous act. Enter attorney Martin Vail. Vail is so good at his job, he's managed to infuriate every judge, prosecutor, and politician in Illinois. Now they're paying him back - by forcing him to defend Aaron Sampler and plead a case he cannot possibly win.
Adaptations (1)
Primal Fear was adapted into a 1996 film.
Primal Fear1996 · film · 129 min · dir. Gregory Hoblit · IMDb ↗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.
