Fear Is the Key

Drawn from Alistair McLean's book of the same name this is a solid thriller that twists and turns nicely throughout. Barry Newman is good as Talbot, the character who finds himself drawn into shady dealings. While the mobsters are adequate (including an early appearance by Ben Kingsley!).

The twist are good but if you've read the book it really takes away from the movie as there is not a whole lot else to hold the interest. However the twists keep you guessing what people's motives are almost up till the end - having said that it's not in the league of Se7en or Usual Suspects so don't expect too much.

The ending is a strange anti-climax to the film, I won't give it away but it is rather muted considering the plot up till that point.

Overall a good story but let down by a lack of any real extended tension and a disappointing conclusion. Turn off the TV and go and read the book - it's much better!

It's aged well. I hadn't seen it in 30 years but thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A very youthful Ben Kingsley and Suzie Kendal support Barry Newman in one of his best known roles.

Good story by Alastair Maclean and screenplay is well crafted to give a satisfying 90 minutes entertainment.

This is one of my favourite movies of the 70's and in my opinion , very underrated. I certainly think it has the best car chase , ie; when the car is dented , it remains so in the next shot , not back to showroom condition ! ( the one in Bullitt is perhaps the coolest , but how many times does McQueen pass that green Beetle ! ) along with the great Roy Budd soundtrack. Barry Newman is great in the lead role , and although the plot is a bit far-fetched in places, it is great entertainment and has a good twist at the end , but I do think the underwater scenes looked a bit like the bottom of a goldfish pond ! One of those great movies nobody has heard of ! This is available on DVD in Scandinavian countries so grab a copy.

WOW! I watched this adaptation of an Alistair MacLean novel tonight and it is fantastic. Barry Newman stars as John Talbot, a drifter who ends up getting into it with the local police in a parish in Louisiana. He gets hauled before a judge but breaks out of the courtroom, taking oil heiress Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) hostage in the process. What happens after that is gonna remain a secret for the element of surprise.

This is a slammin' action film in reverse. The first half hour is comprised of an amazing car chase that is right up there with the likes of THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Seriously, this is one of the greatest (and unheralded) car chases of all-time (courtesy of VANISHING POINT's stunt coordinator Cary Loftin). After that, the film settles down to tell Talbot's complex story. Newman, also fresh off that other car chase epic VANISHING POINT, is quite good as the mysterious Talbot. Supporting turns include John Vernon (I wonder if he a good guy), Dolph Sweet and a weaselly looking guy in his film debut named Ben Kingsley. The stellar score is supplied by Roy Budd (GET CARTER).

Now, I know that action/adventure movies based on Alistair MacLean novels usually require a large portion of suspension of disbelief, but "Fear is the Key" is extra far-fetched! A grieving man stages an entire criminal career, including a spectacularly violent escape from the court room with murder and hostage-taking, only so that he can infiltrate as a salvage expert into a gangster squad that wants to retrieve a valuable loot from a sunken airplane. Don't worry if it sounds too convoluted or incomprehensible, as the film is easy to follow and very entertaining.

There are three main reasons why "Fear is the Key" is a class above the vast majority of contemporary adventure/mystery thrillers. #1: the chase. A film that features a nearly 20-minutes-long car chase with, behind the wheel, Barry Newman, the same cult-movie stunt driver as in the legendary "Vanishing Point"? Yes, please! Excellent Louisianan filming locations, too. #2: the cast. The aforementioned Barry Newman is cool, as always, but particularly the bad guys impress. Sure, he's typecast, but nobody depicts a loathsome villain like John Vernon does. The film also stars a young Ben Kingsley, and he's truly awesome as a silent but deadly menacing hired killer. #3: the climax. I guarantee that "Fear is the Key" has one of the most intense, captivating and edge-of-the-seat suspenseful endings you'll ever see.