A Fantastic Fear of Everything

I was feeling very down one evening and wanted to watch something that would distract me from my thoughts. I went through a couple of lists of so-called "feel-good movies" but after realising that I can't take advice from anyone that finds the Hangover funny (no offence, just different tastes), I decided to see what Simon Pegg has been up to, as Shaun of the Dead is one of my biggest favourites.

This isn't Shaun of the Dead, and if you watch it expecting it to be, you will be bitterly disappointed, as others have said. However, the movie still has a certain dark humour, which I greatly enjoyed, and it carries a story, which for me was very meaningful.

The first half of the movie might seem a bit dragged-out (I enjoyed it though, perhaps because I know all too well how easy it is to think yourself crazy, so I was able to relate to some of what was going on on the screen), but the second half is truly excellent The negative reviews were a bit too harsh in my opinion and that was what prompted me to write one of my own. I'm not going to say you are guaranteed to like it, all I want to do is suggest you give this movie a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.

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.

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.

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.

For any fans of Simon Pegg or independent cinema who may potentially be discouraged from viewing this film due to the low ratings, don't be fooled! "A Fantastic Fear of Everything" is an incredibly well-done film from start to finish. Pegg delivers a brilliant performance as an agoraphobic writer attempting to delve into the world of Victorian killers for a new book project. His paranoia forces him into a number of hilariously unfortunate and unexpected situations. This is not your typical middle school toilet humor nor does the film set up jokes you can see coming a mile away.

Overall, the film is humorous, entertaining, and incorporates a number of dark, unorthodox story-telling features (including bits of animation). Therefore, if you primarily enjoy big-budget blockbusters or expect that every film featuring Simon Pegg to be "Shaun of the Dead" that sadly, you will probably not enjoy this film. However, if you appreciate story-telling, exemplar acting, and something a little different than the norm, I would highly recommend this film.