In Fear

Bored and looking for something to watch, I was browsing through lists of the best horror movies of 2013. The more and more "In Fear" appeared in them, the more my interest was piqued.

Well let's just say the anticipation of watching it was much more exciting than the actual process of watching it. All we have with "In Fear" is a poorly scripted, annoyingly repetitive horror movie that is carried along by a phenomenal score that is way better than it has any right to be. The sounds mesh with the images so well that there were moments that I still felt nervous, even though I knew what was going to happen, courtesy of the by-the-numbers script.

Tom and Lucy are two people that just met two weeks prior. On their way to a music festival in a nearby town, Tom decides to surprise Lucy by taking her to a hotel for a night...a rather questionable move for people that have just met. Thankfully, Lucy seems to be fine with it.

But there are some red flags from the outset: For one, the only way to get to the hotel is to follow a truck, whose owner they never see. Even more alarming? He points to a locked gate, insinuating that is where they should go next, before suddenly leaving them alone. I don't know about you, but that would be enough for me to get the hell out of there and never return, but Tom and Lucy, stupid horror characters that they are, do as they're instructed.

From here, we get thirty minutes of them driving around in circles, inexplicably continuing to follow the same signs to the motel even after learning it only takes them back to where they started. Somehow, these scenes manage to be creepy, at least at first, if for no other reason than the aforementioned score. Of course, once minute twenty rolls around of the same old thing, it starts to lose its luster. Then once Max arrives, things go from bad to worse, both for the characters, and for the viewer, leading to an abomination of an ending.

"In Fear" is certainly a competent example of independent filmmaking, at least from a visual standpoint, and I guess it deserves some points for that. It's well shot, well acted, well lit, and despite a few confusing cuts, pretty well edited. Unfortunately, the one thing it's missing, besides a shred of believability, is a halfway decent script. These characters are ones you've seen in dozens, if not hundreds, of horror movies before, in that they are clearly only reacting to the needs of the script; they do not act like normal people attempting to get out of a desperate situation, but rather. Put any real person in this situation, and it would be a five minute movie with no scares and no real action.

Come to think of it, I've essentially summed up "In Fear", only it somehow needs 85 minutes to do that.

... just the way I like it ! So yes, of course I will be pretty subjective in this review (but aren't everyone else in theirs, after all ?)

In current horror movie era flooded with zombies, haunted houses and paranormal activities, little movies like this one come as real refreshment. To be honest it's more mystery/thriller/suspense than horror, but nevertheless.

Simple plot (Man and woman in a car, lost in a maze of narrow roads at the countryside trying to find a secluded hotel they reserved on internet), combined with nice visuals and directing/editing is just what I wanted to see from a movie. No two and a half hours of over the top action scenes, no special effects, CGI monsters, ghosts and flying sheets ... just a little mystery and healthy dose of suspense.

Yes, the main protagonists maybe don't do and act how one would expect "normal" people to do in such situation, but it's impossible to predict anyway how "normal" people would behave in every situation. This is good enough.

I must say that I find recent British movies (to name a few I can remember without looking at my voting history: Truth or die, The Seasoning House, The Cottage ...) more appealing to me than ones from Hollywood. I think if you hated "Cabin in the woods" or you're just tired of movies like that, there's a big chance you'll like "In Fear"

First of all, the acting in this movie is pretty darn good, but other than that i can't give it any other merits. The dialogue and the way the characters act makes it so unbelievable that the movie becomes painful to watch. It's hard to become immersed when you are screaming at the characters to be smart for a few seconds. The plot is so full of holes and boring that it feels like you just want it to end after a half hour. the setting is perfect for the horror genre, unfortunately there is no horror, not even any suspense. Nothing ever changes in this movie so you feel like one scene is constantly on repeat. The whole movie feels as though it's stuck in it's first five minutes and nothing gives this movie the nudge it needs to become truly frightening. I really can not recommend this movie to anyone because it has nothing positive from any genre out there. This movie is a pass.

It's astonishing how they manage to induce terror with just a couple of actors, a car, rainy weather, and the wilderness. This is a case of low-budget filmmaking done well. Jeremy Lovering is an Edgar Wright collaborator, and his frame choices (with plenty of close-ups of the protagonists' worried faces) instantly draw you into the film. The score is also quite effective and adds to the creepy mood. The plot presents a total nightmare for folks who suffer from panic attacks - travel horror may not be a genre recommended for those people. The storyline progression is somewhat questionable, but the pacing remains apt.

The first key jumpscare happens at an unexpected juncture, and I think the film deserves some points on that front. The entry of the third character deflates the tension to some extent, yet the performances (of all three) keep you invested. Even from a psychological horror standpoint, the plausibility of certain developments lack finesse especially towards the end of the film. Nonetheless, I think it's a solid exercise in building tension and the atmospherics really add to that. If you liked Dead End, there's a good chance you'll savour this one too.

The reactions at the Frightfest in London where this was playing were ranging from "liked" to "totally hated it". There weren't too many people who were completely taken aback by the story (if you can call it that). Two people in a car and "absolute fear". Or something like that. It has its fair share of moments and I wouldn't say it's a waste of time to watch. But I'm pretty sure many people will get fed up with the characters and the twists.

There should've been a little more work on the script and there might have been better dialog and better overall options. The shooting style is optimal for low budget and it did suit the movie. But it didn't elevate it enough to make it something that will stand out. "Them" and a few other horror gems have done terror in a far better way. With characters the viewer is actually rooting for