This is such a refreshingly smart, tense and well constructed thriller that I assumed its writer and director Jeremy Lovering was a fresh faced young wunderkind set to take the world of horror by storm. So I was surprised to watch the behind-the-scenes features and realise he’s actually an older gent and a veteran of TV both in the UK and US. On the evidence of In Fear he needs to concentrate his talents on the big screen because he has a confidence and skill in rustling up scares without relying on gimmickry that is sadly lacking in the horror scene these days.
But while the film is without gimmicks it was put together in a fairly unique way. Lovering’s central actors, Iain De Castecker and Alice Englert, were unaware of the film’s plot and were only given the scenes they were working on that day, leaving them as ignorant of all the twists and turns the story takes as the audience. So the looks of shock and confusion on their faces are completely genuine.
The pair play Tom and Lucy who on a rather elaborate second date head to Ireland for a music festival. Tom has sneakily arranged a stopover in a rural hotel but the couple have trouble finding it. What starts off as a funny situation becomes increasingly desperate as they keep circling round the same backwoods roads and panic starts to set in as they wonder if someone is after them.
Events actually start off pretty light-hearted and at first the awkward banter between the two leads wouldn’t seem out of place in a rom-com. But right from the beginning the ominous music and gloomy cinematography make it clear that the direction we’re heading in is more Deliverance than When Harry Met Sally.
And from then on it’s basically a master class in suspense and anxiety that perfectly captures the sense of panic and helplessness that comes with being hopelessly lost. The cast spend 90% of the film inside Tom’s car and in a lesser director’s hands this would be a tedious experience but Lovering makes it a virtue. The car becomes their entire world and we start to share their fear of what lurks outside the light of the headlamps.
It’s set up so masterfully that the final payoff is almost inevitably a little bit silly. It relies on the kind of horror clichés that, up until that point, the film had managed to avoid. But really after cranking up the tension for over an hour the finale needed to be a bit overblown to let off some steam and its absurdity is easily forgiven, even if it makes absolutely no sense if you think about it.
But overall this is a neat little thriller of almost Hitchcockian quality that will reward repeat viewings and to get the most enjoyment out of it should be watched with nervous viewing companions, in the dark, the night before you take them on a rural road trip.
Overall Verdict: A small-scale chiller that is viciously effective thanks to convincing performances from its tiny cast and Jeremy Lovering’s skill behind the camera. It all gets very silly in the last act but it’s still well worth repeat viewings.
Special Features:
Audio commentary with director Jeremy Lovering and actors Alice Englert, Iain De Caestecker & Allen Leach
Behind the scenes documentary
Stills Gallery
Music from and inspired by In Fear by Roly Porter
Trailer
Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon