Fear

Testosterone-driven entertainment with a moral, sleekly directed by James Foley.

It's a maddening, satisfying, junky, enjoyable picture.

Foley has a fine sense of shading in depicting a slightly dysfunctional family. The problem with this subgenre is the way it has to demonize and dehumanize its villains in order to produce the desired effect, which brutalizes the spectator along with the story and characters. If you can accept this limitation, this is a very efficient piece of machinery.

Fear, a sort of pubescent Fatal Attraction, is derivative and often risible, in the competent hands of Foley it's also highly enjoyable.

Initially powerful and unsettling, the movie loses its hold when it becomes stupid and violent. [12 Apr 1996]

A movie as unsubtle as its title suggests, Fear is too seriously intended to work as trash and too ungainly and ugly to register as entertainment. [15 Apr 1996]

Despite a few scattered moments of visceral excitement, the only thing truly frightening about the oh-so-ominously titled Fear is how so many talented people came to be involved in so inane a project.

I somehow missed this movie and only just now saw it in 2024. If one takes this movie for what it purports to be, it's actually quite good. Mark Wahlburg plays the "bad boy that the innocent girl can't see" perfectly, and Reese Witherspoon was the perfect choice for that girl. The movie is well done, and although predictable, quite enjoyable. The "good guys" all get a chance at heroism when the movie comes to a crescendo, which is always fun. Don't go into it anticipating some cinematic masterpiece, and you will come away quite satisfied. Besides, it's enjoyable to see these two famous actors together in a film made so early on in their careers.

Verdict: Love is a Thriller Story: When teenagers fall in love we all know that nothing much will come of it when one part turns into a bit of a psycho. We do get to see the highs of the relationship and how in love the couple are, but we also see the dark side once they start to break up. We see how one man snaps once he can’t get what he wants and will go to great lengths in his mind games against the family before things get out of hand. It turns from a dull school girl romance into a home invasion psychological thriller. (7/10) Actor Review Mark Wahlberg: David the charmer with a dark side because when love takes over he will stop at nothing to get his girl, disposing of whoever gets in his way. Good performance here showing his darker side and range early on in his career. (8/10) mark Reese Witherspoon: Nicole the sweet sixteen year old who falls for bad boy David, not noticing that he could have a darker side and wonders why he gets mad when she just stops seeing him, very naïve young girl. Good performance from Reese showing she was going onto bigger and better things. (7/10) reese William Petersen: Steve the architect father of Nicole who becomes suspicious of David early on but gets drawn into his mind games. Good protective father performance showing he always had the authority role down to a tee. (7/10) petersen Director Review: James Foley – Good direction mixing genres as the film unfolds. (7/10) Thriller: Once the slow romantic story first finishes the thrills really start. (8/10) Settings: Some good isolated locations leaving the family trapped while the invasion happens. (7/10) Suggestion: This is one to try, fans of the actors should go back and see their early work and it is a solid thriller. (Try) Best Part: Wahlberg is frightening in the lead villain. Worst Part: Slow starting. Kill Of The Film: School friend. Scariest Scene: The dog scene. Believability: People can become that obsessed but I think this is a bit too far. (3/10) Chances of Tears: No (0/10) Chances of Sequel: No Post Credits Scene: No Oscar Chances: No Box Office: $21 Million Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes Tagline: He’s dying to date you Overall: Solid Thriller About A Lost Love

The movie was doing very well until the actual climax, then it just gets completely stale.. Great actors, just not an unbelievably great movie.

Hot, possessive, boyfriend: gone wrong. There are times of excitement, and there are times in which you want to see more. It's a great cast, and this had the foundation to be a great movie; unfortunately, I expected more. Not a bad film, and if you are looking to pass the time, I will not skip past this.

Starring a very young Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon, Fear is a decent film and Mark Wahlberg gives a truly chilling performance as David McCall. It's ultimately a forgettable film but its worth checking out sometime.