3/5 Fear X - A Mood Movie, With More Mood Than Movie
  by Mark (East Coast)
Fear X is a movie that I can see fans of independent film being split down the middle about. There are a lot of creative and daring choices being made here, and many of them work. Certainly this is a movie that is worth being studied by aspiring film-makers and actors for its technical merits. The lighting, music, and visuals are all used convincingly to create a mood of dread and anticipation. The problem is that the story itself never seems to coincide with this mood. By the time you arrive at the crux of the film, it is neither surprising nor is it compelling.

John Turturro plays Harry Cain in a very understated performance. When his wife is murdered with no explanation, his modest life as a security guard deteriorates into the depressing. We are supposed to believe that he becomes *obsessed* with discovering what happened to her. But in actuality, he seems to be going through the motions more than really chasing her killers. Most of the plot just *happens* and the concern of those around him seems contrived and unconvincing, which is perhaps done intentionally to alienate his character.

Hidden beneath the veneer of this unconventional story are some very common mistakes that degrade the value of any brand of film. The story never builds any of the characters enough for us to feel connected with them. And where the characters behave in ways that are unexpected, the story does not seem to tie that in to the plot. Rather, it seems to just portray the story at face value with little tie in between what is real and what is imagined. As such, some very powerful aspects of this film fall very flat.

The camera work is excellent, but seems to work against the very flat characters as much as the actors do. I have no doubt they were playing them as written, but perhaps better direction and editing would have released more of the *dread* they were aiming for. We have a large number of close-ups of John Turturro that are meant to communicate anger and rage boiling beneath the surface and look more like indifference. Other character's faces are framed similarly, and their expressions are almost all just as blank.

I am a huge fan of David Lynch and I find the comparison's to his films to be misplaced. I also really love psychological drama, and yet all of the great camera work seems to counteract the psychological aspects of this movie. And the sparseness of the script is something I could accept if it were executed better. Here, so many of those slow scenes are counteracted by cliché characters. All of the law enforcement characters in this movie are examples of that.

CONCLUSION

I can't recommend this movie except to the most daring of film-goers. Mostly, this is a film that will suit a certain audience of film students more than film watchers. If you want to learn how to use music, lighting and pacing to create a mood in film, this has to be high up on your list of films to study. Similarly, if you are a fan of John Turturro and just want to see everything he has ever done, you will have to add this one to your list. Be prepared to watch this several times. This is definitely not for those with a short attention span.


If you are looking for a far-out creative movie to enjoy, this movie is both too far-out and not far-out enough. I think this could have been more than the technical achievement that it is. But as a film the story-telling aspect seems somewhat of an afterthought here.

Avoid.


3/5 Lynchian and Ambiguous
  by Michael R. Fine (Ogden, Utah)
Many people will not like this film. It is not straight forward nor does it clean up tidy at the end. It is not a formula film and as such, only those interested in seeing a movie that experiments with the genre will enjoy. In a nutshell, if you aren't into independent or art house kind of movies, this is probably a path you want to avoid entirely.

HOWEVER, if you like a David Lynch type film with surrealism and interesting twists, this is a film you might like. The production is top notch and John Turturro puts in a great performance. It has wonderful aesthetics and a cool soundtrack by Brian Eno.

I have to agree that this is a rental rather than a purchase. It is a personal taste kind of movie and you should only buy it after seeing it.

2/5 Abuses the viewer at the "end"
  by August West (Detroit, MI)
It started out good, and stayed good all the way to nearly the end. Oh wait, I'm sorry, I forgot, there WASN'T an end. I could got into detail about it why it was such a waste of time, but it's really very simple. When it was over I was left feeling ripped off. Not in a monetary sense since I saw it on cable. Rather, my time and my emotional and psychological investments were abused.

5/5 Underrated Must-See
  by L. Mintah (USA)
I came across Fear X while browsing in our local video rental place. Why haven't I heard of this movie? This is one of my favorites, an instant classic. Chilling and mesmerizing, it is the story of a mall security guard whose wife was shot in the parking garage. He uses surveillance tapes snuck to him by his co-worker to look for clues to find her killer. Caine is obsessed, but a gentle guy - he just wants to find out why his wife was killed.

He sees her ghost or vision beckoning him on, leading him to check new places, which gets him into trouble. Some people have said the film leads to nothing. This is true and not true. I got a powerful message from the movie. Without spoiling anything, I will say part of it: maybe some answers are better left buried.

1/5 Great build up---to nothing
  by Nathan Christian (New Stanton, PA USA)
This film was expertly made and filmed. Great tension and very dramatic acting. What ruined it for me was there was not an explanation at the end. We know they wife was killed by accident, but why? Who? What was the cover up? No questions were answered, and that made me feel like my time was wasted on a good looking movie, poorly written end. Not satisfying at all.

To me, if you make the best looking film out there, and it doesn't make sence, you're not a good film maker.