Fear (1996) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

Let me give you my thoughts about love. I tend to side with famous Irish poet Oscar Wilde, when he says, “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.” This is the basis for any successful relationship between lovers, most importantly during the honeymoon phase. Love sure makes us do crazy things for the people we care for most. But what is that limitation of crazy? And how far can it get before the significant others realizes this and wants to cut the cord for good? Sadly, cutting the cord may mean dire consequences for those that wish to end it. Let’s put that to the test and revisit two star-crossed lovers which is something out of any teenage girl’s dreams. But what if that dream soon warps into a twisted tale of horrific obsession, stalking, and manipulation? We’re talking about 1996’s Fear which is directed by James Foley and features two present day A-listers, at a time when they were just starting to make an impact in the Hollywood circuit. Fear is a movie that fits perfectly within that coming-of-age, teenage culture which was so prevalent during 90’s horror. It’s also been subject of much heated debates, if it’s a true horror film or not. But today, I’m here to tell you my two cents and why it belongs in in this coveted genre especially after a recent rewatch. Yes, today we’re hanging out with Calvin Klein sensation turned hip-hop rapper, Marky Mark, and the always sweet, girl next door, Reese Witherspoon as we revisit 1996’s Fear (watch it HERE).

Fear first became a concept back in 1994, when writer, Christopher Crowe originally titled the movie, “No Fear,” with director James Foley set to direct. The film was picked up by Imagine Entertainment, and Universal Pictures. It went into an eleven-week production mainly in the Seattle, Washington area for the city elements. The Walker residence scenes including that amazing climactic ending, were filmed in Vancouver due to the script’s description of where Nicole and her family resided. The Walker residence was a sophisticated hi-tech establishment which was surrounded by water, and impenetrable to outside dangers. The filmmakers were extremely thrilled that the script’s settings matched the Vancouver residence to a t. Originally, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen to be the main star David, but he backed out, citing the material wasn’t for him. However, Leo did pitch his friend Mark Wahlberg to take the spot as David. Both Leo and Mark recently collaborated on the 1995 teenage coming-of-age tale, The Basketball Diaries, so Wahlberg was given the chance to shine. Director James Foley was so impressed with Wahlberg’s audition, that he said he would back out of directing duties if Wahlberg wasn’t cast as the lead star. And truthfully, the movie wouldn’t have had much of an impact if Wahlberg wasn’t cast due to his perfect “wolf in sheep’s clothing” portrayal of David.

Fear centers on 16-year-old Nicole Walker, played by Reese Witherspoon who, like all her other films plays the sweet and innocent do-gooder who lives with her dad Steven, played by William Petersen, and stepmother Laura, played by the always beautiful Amy Brenneman, as well as her stepbrother, Toby. Nicole and her best friend Margo, played by Alyssa Milano, visit a downtown café, and both fall for two edgy, older men, one of them being Mark Wahlberg’s David. David takes a liking to Nicole, as they meet up at a club, their intrigue for each other blossoms into a steady relationship, or in Dane Cook’s terms, a RELATIONSHIT. After some shady and downright disturbing actions from David, Nicole starts to contemplate whether David is her real true love, or one of hell’s own angels brought forth to latch onto her with sinister intentions. It really brings the phrase, “Till Death Do Us Part” into consideration from David’s own psyche as his over-obsessive, psychotic tendencies start taking over, which spill into Nicole’s family and friends being put in harm’s way.

There are some truly memorable and intense moments from Fear that categorize it as a horror. I mean what’s more frightening than a girl not being able to escape the evil clutches of a psychotic boyfriend; let alone the failures of a parent not being able to protect their own child from it? But let’s observe why this is a horror film, as my favorite scenes provide the context. David has a liking to lurking about Nicole’s whereabouts. He’s an infection that has spread and latched itself onto Nicole, and although it may look cute at first, it starts to become a catalyst for what’s to come. Right out of Michael Myers playbook, David is everywhere, just waiting to pounce at a moment’s notice. Hell, he even infiltrates Nicole’s school and stalks the hallways looking at what she does, and who she interacts with. He even lets himself enter a women’s bathroom at a local mall. He also chases down Nicole’s best fried Margo in an intense car chase sequence. If that wasn’t enough, he would even show up in a deserted backwoods area to twist the head off of Nicole’s best friend, Gary.

There’s also a great sequence between Nicole’s dad, Steven, and David. When Steven, who also possesses a little of that overbearing, masochistic edge to him, in all honestly what dad doesn’t with a daughter like Nicole? Steven confronts David in a neighboring street telling him to stay away and threatens him. David reacts with abusing himself when Steven drives away. You’d think a father’s love for his daughter, as well as some intimidation tactics, would stray David, but It only creates more trouble in the process for Nicole and her loved ones. David tells Nicole he was shoved violently and pushed by her father during a confrontation. We know David is not just brawns, but he also has manipulative tendencies as well, outsmarting people in the process. When Steven breaks into David’s home, he finds his room to be enshrined with Nicole’s photos, a mantle dedicated to her, as well as some stolen jewelry which has a new engraving called “David’s girl,” instead of “Daddy’s girl.” Let’s also not forget the self-inflicted chest tattoo showing off David’s artistic skills and devotion to poor Nicole.

And lastly, there is the icing on the cake that makes it a horror movie on its own. I guess you can say the horror really starts when Gary gets his neck twisted like a can of jarred pickles, but the siege on the Walker residence has tons of horror movie moments which states my case. The demise of the family dog. The lights and security going out making it dark and ominous. The poor security guard getting a taste of his own medicine, or even the stalking and lurking around the windows by David, and his drugged-up hooligans make for some borderline Straw Dogs or The Strangers callbacks. Once they break into the house, the fight is on, and Fear brings some slasher cat and mouse moments into the mix. Director James Foley even wanted to have that infamous Shining, axe-to-door scene homage in there for good measure. The movie does a fine job at letting the viewer know how much of a whirlwind David can be, and the dangers he possesses if he doesn’t get his way. Besides the self-abuse, and inflicted tattoo wounds, he brings a believable psychotic nature, with that infamous line as he’s about to break into the Walker home and tells Steven Walker, “Let Me In The Fucking House!” It’s a great spine-tingling moment that people remember Mark Wahlberg for. The way his face contorts, and eye’s pop out bring about the nightmare fuel to women all over the world watching this flick.

This brings me to our two main stars, Marky Mark and Reese Witherspoon. While both go on to become Hollywood A-listers later in their careers, in Fear they’re both exceptionally devoted to the characterizations of David and Nicole. Mark Wahlberg plays the perfect incarnation of a batshit, jealous, downright nutty boyfriend in David. David is three sheets to the wind, making Nicole a possession of his own, and trust me, once she becomes part of that entrapment, there is no getting out. When Nicole’s friend Gary hugs Nicole goodbye after school, Gary gets an absolute ass-kicking in front of the student body by David. Then for good measure backhands Nicole as she tries to pull David off. Big red flags for David right there. Mark Wahlberg plays the role with such malice and vitriol that he is enshrined in the crazy movie boyfriend department for generations to come. 

Then there is Nicole Walker played by Reese Witherspoon who you can say has almost played the same kind of character in her films, notably just like Cruel Intentions; where she plays the innocent, reserved type that falls for the asshole and cues some good ol’ fashion heartbreak. In Fear, Reese does an amazing job at displaying innocence lost, being forcefully taken advantage of and letting it happen, due to how head over heels she is for David. During that infamous rollercoaster scene, director James Foley and Reese Witherspoon were at odds with the actions displayed to the viewer, as Foley added the third base component as an idea showing how fast the relationship was heading. Reese wasn’t comfortable with the idea at all, due to the explicit nature of it, and in all honesty, makes the character Nicole a little too easy when her guard should be up. Apparently when you’re Marky Mark those rules don’t apply here. It does, however, make for a steamy dynamic between Nicole and David’s relationship.

The movie has an excellent cast besides Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg as the lead roles. You have William Petersen who you may all know as the main man of CSI, but he’s also just as great in Michael Mann’s Mindhunter, as Will Graham. William Petersen plays the protective, overbearing, sometimes a loose cannon father in Fear. Let’s be honest, who would mess with this guy as a young adult? Not only was he physically fit in the role, but they established Steve Walker as someone with hot-headed tendencies and could run a mean sprint, which is beneficial to being David’s foil by the end of the film.

Then there’s the stepmother, garden enthusiast Laura, played Amy Brenneman who tries to parent Nicole. She comes off a little too aggressive like calling her stepdaughter slutty with what Nicole’s wearing when she goes out on the town one night. However, Laura has time to redeem her motherly instincts by fighting alongside Steven and protecting their children, which includes a great scene with a drill. She becomes the caring and protective mother figure, that Nicole seeks by the end, You also have Nicole’s best friend Margo played by Alyssa Milano. Margo is more of the bad influence to Nicole, bringing her to the club to pursue Mark Wahlberg’s David. Margo also comes on to Nicole’s dad as she uses her seductiveness and diversion by bending over in front of him while he’s working. This gives Mark Wahlberg’s David the time to sabotage Steve’s office clock so that David has more time to be out with Nicole, and disrespecting curfew. Alyssa Milano has some great dramatic chops here when shit starts hitting the fan and even though she brushes off David’s problems at the start of the movie, justifying David’s abuse as just “what boys do,” she starts to become truly terrified when she’s pursued in her vehicle, or even taken for David’s own pleasure at a party while under the influence, and David enjoying the sadism of it all.

Fear made 20 million and became a sleeper hit off a very small budget of 6 million. Not too shabby, however its critical reception was not too polite comparing the movie as a Fatal Attraction for teenagers. It currently holds a 46% critics score with a 63% audience score. Fear does indeed project itself more of a horror rather than a thriller. It’s the twisted tone of it that makes it a horror, with some slasher elements thrown in for good measure. Reiterating my statement before, there is something truly terrifying about a human being capable of snapping at the flip of a hat, and while that’s been done in similar films like Cape Fear, Fatal Attraction, or P2, Mark Wahlberg plays it with sincere credibility. You get some hints of his upbringing, but you truly don’t know the extent of his mentality when every scene is elevated to the prior one, unleashing the direness of being in Nicole’s shoes. At least you can say David’s devoted to his women, in a very twisted, malevolent kinda way. Ah, that young love makes me all bubbly inside, if it were only that simple. Yeah right.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!