A crime novelist whose research on Victorian serial killers has turned him into a paranoid wreck must confront his worst fears when a film executive takes a sudden interest in his movie scri... Read allA crime novelist whose research on Victorian serial killers has turned him into a paranoid wreck must confront his worst fears when a film executive takes a sudden interest in his movie script.A crime novelist whose research on Victorian serial killers has turned him into a paranoid wreck must confront his worst fears when a film executive takes a sudden interest in his movie script.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total
Elliot Greene
- Biggie
- (as Elliot Green)
Pamela Cundell
- Irene
- (as Pam Cundell)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
It's really great seeing Simon Pegg playing it as straight as possible, because it enhances the horror part of the movie. There still is comedy bits in there (the whole idea is kind of crazy to begin with), but it gets mixed well with those really great shocking moments throughout the movie.
An important character gets introduced very late in the movie, which can be viewed as a mistake or something bad, but even that sort of works for the movie. And it works because it is mainly a one man show. Heavy lifting that Mr. Pegg is able to do. The audio commentary on the disc of course showcases his sense of humor again. Not only for his fans, but for everyone who likes quirky and weird movies.
An important character gets introduced very late in the movie, which can be viewed as a mistake or something bad, but even that sort of works for the movie. And it works because it is mainly a one man show. Heavy lifting that Mr. Pegg is able to do. The audio commentary on the disc of course showcases his sense of humor again. Not only for his fans, but for everyone who likes quirky and weird movies.
This film will find its audience among fans of dark comedy. Don't expect the broad appeal of "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz", and comparisons to other Simon Pegg films miss the point. This is a film deserving attention, especially for writers and the "cult" audience who enjoy quirky, unique dark comedies/mysteries.
Reviewers forget that some films are not for everyone, and their opinion is worth nothing in the evaluation of such films. This one may be very much enjoyed by a smaller audience, even after several viewings. "Fantastic Fear" ranks among the "love it or leave it" types; you may find it annoying or too odd, like "Dark Shadows", or it's tremendous fun.
"Burke & Hare" also divided audiences, yet this film has more in common with murder-mysteries, like a cross between "Clue" and a spoofy take on say, the recent "The Raven (2012)". Better than both films, IMO, this will live on with DVD and Blu-ray releases, thankfully.
Box office numbers and critical "consensus" are ultimately short-lived, and very deceptive. Give this a chance if you like dark comedies. And it must be said that Simon Pegg's acting resume becomes increasingly impressive. Regardless of the final product, you have to give him props. And here, the final product is better than you might expect.
Reviewers forget that some films are not for everyone, and their opinion is worth nothing in the evaluation of such films. This one may be very much enjoyed by a smaller audience, even after several viewings. "Fantastic Fear" ranks among the "love it or leave it" types; you may find it annoying or too odd, like "Dark Shadows", or it's tremendous fun.
"Burke & Hare" also divided audiences, yet this film has more in common with murder-mysteries, like a cross between "Clue" and a spoofy take on say, the recent "The Raven (2012)". Better than both films, IMO, this will live on with DVD and Blu-ray releases, thankfully.
Box office numbers and critical "consensus" are ultimately short-lived, and very deceptive. Give this a chance if you like dark comedies. And it must be said that Simon Pegg's acting resume becomes increasingly impressive. Regardless of the final product, you have to give him props. And here, the final product is better than you might expect.
I went to see A Fantastic Fear of Everything with no expectations as I hadn't read any reviews and had been underwhelmed by a couple of Simon Pegg's recent efforts. To use a crude rating system i'd say that this was marginally better than Paul and a lot better than Burke & Hare.
I liked the originality of the story and the journey the character took through the movie. It was frequently amusing without ever getting to real laugh-out-loud comedy levels. Silly humour mixed in with quite clever stuff. I'm not sure how it'll go down outside of the U.K. and indeed I felt that it was more suited to a television rather than big- screen format. It's the sort of film I think you could really appreciate if you put it on after coming home completely inebriated from the pub, although you'd probably have to shave 10-15 minutes off the running time in order to stay awake till the end.
I liked the originality of the story and the journey the character took through the movie. It was frequently amusing without ever getting to real laugh-out-loud comedy levels. Silly humour mixed in with quite clever stuff. I'm not sure how it'll go down outside of the U.K. and indeed I felt that it was more suited to a television rather than big- screen format. It's the sort of film I think you could really appreciate if you put it on after coming home completely inebriated from the pub, although you'd probably have to shave 10-15 minutes off the running time in order to stay awake till the end.
Simon Pegg stars as a paranoid crime writer haunted by a fear of being murdered as well as launderettes. This is a wonderfully surreal film and a welcome change from the usual bland 'comedies' churned out ten to the dozen these days. The script is sharp and veers wildly through a number of weird and very funny scenarios which are milked brilliantly by Pegg.
This is a very British film and quirky film and therefore unlikely to find mass or foreign appeal. However for fans of Simon Pegg and his movies this will be a real treat.
Reading some of the previous reviews and looking at the rating I wasn't expecting to like this film quite as much as I did. Hopefully this film will become a cult classic as it really does stand out.
This is a very British film and quirky film and therefore unlikely to find mass or foreign appeal. However for fans of Simon Pegg and his movies this will be a real treat.
Reading some of the previous reviews and looking at the rating I wasn't expecting to like this film quite as much as I did. Hopefully this film will become a cult classic as it really does stand out.
I admit I like Simon Pegg, a lot, so I watched this movie just because of him. The first time I tried to watch the movie I turned it off just like after 15 minutes, today I tried again and I was very tempted to stop it at least a couple of times during the first half an hour, but in the end I sticked with it and I'm very happy of my decision. Yes, everybody knows this movies is not hilarious but that's not its goal, it's a movie about how Simon Pegg's character tries to overcome his fears. I found it funny from time to time but mostly I loved Pegg's acting and most of all I loved the direction. The animated part at the end of the movie is awesome, that alone makes the movie worth watching
Did you know
- TriviaThe first film backed by Pinewood Studios' initiative to support low-budget British filmmaking.
- GoofsDuring the restaurant scene, the black man sitting behind Jack disappears & reappears as the shot changes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Paranoid Movie Characters (2015)
- SoundtracksI See You
Written by Phil May (as May), John Povey (as Povey), Dick Taylor (as Taylor' and Wally Waller (as Waller)
Performed by The Pretty Things
courtesy of De Wolfe Ltd.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Ảo Giác Ma Quái
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £1,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $96,948
- Runtime
- 1h 40m(100 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content