For so many horror flicks, there’s often the question, “why do bad things happen to good people?” That’s what I was thinking while watching In Fear, from writer/director Jeremy Lovering. Check out the trailer and then read on for my review of this solid film.
In Fear stars Iain De Caestecker and Alice Englert as a new couple on a road trip to a music festival. Looking to make things romantic, De Caestecker’s Tom surprises Englert’s Lucy by booking a hotel for the night. Thing of awry when the two get lost on their way in what appears to be a maze. Someone or something is out there.
In Fear is a hugely tense film that excels thanks to the performances from its two lead characters. The fact that they’ve only known one another for two weeks is a huge piece of the film’s appeal. You’re watching not-quite strangers crack under the pressure of unexpected horror. They haven’t known one another long enough to either love or fully trust one another, and De Caestecker and Englert navigate the situation brilliantly.
As someone who loves a good road trip, I couldn’t help but recall the night my old friend Tim and I found ourselves on a foggy deserted highway outside of Pittsburgh, late on a Saturday night after attending a Farm Aid concert. While not entirely backwoods, we didn’t know where we were or exactly how to get to where we were going. While we were both “manly men”, we were certainly nervous being extremely out of our element. In Fear conjures up that same emotion, both for its characters and for its audience. Anything can happen when you’re out of your element, as the film demonstrates. It’s well worth a watch.
In Fear is out March 11th on DVD and Blu-Ray from Anchor Bay, and screens this Thursday as part of Sinister Cinema’s monthly screenings. You can find more details here.
