As a thought challenge, Primer succeeds. As a movie, it commits the worst of all sins: it's boring. Primer is not hard to follow for the reasons you expect. It's hard because it fails to invest you into the story. It naturally involves your curious side, but only to the science's merit. As a narrative, primer has no punch.
In a vain effort to disguise the bland story, the convoluted way Primer is presented makes it seem more complex and intelligent than it actually is. That's pretty clear right from the start, as the first few minutes of the movie are: incoherent technical jargon being spouted left and right in a montage that adds absolutely nothing to the development of characters or story.
At very least, Primer is commited to its style and stays true to it throughout its duration.
In a vain effort to disguise the bland story, the convoluted way Primer is presented makes it seem more complex and intelligent than it actually is. That's pretty clear right from the start, as the first few minutes of the movie are: incoherent technical jargon being spouted left and right in a montage that adds absolutely nothing to the development of characters or story.
At very least, Primer is commited to its style and stays true to it throughout its duration.