Fear, Inc. is a must-see for any horror fan. You’re bound to recognize either yourself or one of your horror-loving friends in this one!
I was really looking forward to Fear, Inc. and maybe that ended up hurting the movie for me a bit. Oh, don’t worry, it’s not a bad movie or anything. In fact, it has some really great scenes and plot twists. Maybe they won’t surprise you very much – I saw most of them coming a mile away – but that’s okay.
This is a horror-comedy at heart, and with Fear, Inc. you will definitely be entertained from start to finish. My big issue was the fact that I really did not think the main protagonist, Joe, was very likable. Or to be more direct; I didn’t like him at all and still cannot understand why his friends (and especially his girlfriend) would put up with him. He is annoying and (unfortunately!) not very funny!
It doesn’t get better as the story evolves, but at first I really couldn’t care less what happened to him. I thought he deserved whatever came his way. He didn’t care about anyone around him. And when we, the audience, don’t get a chance to understand why this is – and why everyone seems okay with this – then we don’t understand the dynamic between the characters.
For the record, I don’t blame this on Lucas Neff, who played the role of Joe. Instead, I feel it’s rooted in the writing of the character. The character is a stereotypical “boys will be boys”-type, but without any of the charming qualities that can make this work. Somewhere along the line, someone should’ve let us know why this guy seemed to be liked by the people around him. There was the tiniest attempt at some backstory in the beginning, but it was ultimately left very unresolved.
Caitlin Stasey is the hero of Fear, Inc.
I’ll admit I was looking forward to seeing Caitlin Stasey in Fear, Inc. Generally, I love her in everything she does, and she delivered once again in this movie. Her character is a kick-ass woman, and she brings so much more to it – even if I still don’t think it’s clear why she was with her irritating boyfriend.
If you don’t know Caitlin Stasey – or if you’ve only ever seen her in the TV series Reign – then you should watch a few of her movies. Tomorrow, When the War Began is a great Australian film and you especially need to watch All Cheerleaders Die. It is absolutely a guilty pleasure of mine, and a great little horror-comedy gem. Very dark and quirky in the best way!
And, of course, I have to mention that there are so many amazing actors in small roles throughout the movie, so stay alert. Familiar faces like Abigail Breslin (Scream Queens), Mark Moses (Homeland, The Last Ship), Richard Riehle (Texas Chainsaw 3D), and Leslie Jordan (American Horror Story) suddenly show up.
A solid feature film debut for both the writer and director
Fear, Inc. marks Vincent Masciale feature film debut, and as such, I think he did a damn fine job. However, you may already be familiar with his work since he’s been making short films for Funny or Die for three years. Fortunately, the satire and dark humor does work very well in Fear, Inc. The script was written by Luke Barnett, and this is also his debut with a feature film screenplay.
They also did the short film version of this story together, and have worked on many other projects, so hopefully we’ll see more from them in the future. I’d love a dark horror-comedy where the protagonist has a bit more charm – or is a complete loner because he doesn’t.
Bottom line: While I wish I would’ve liked this movie a lot more, it doesn’t take away from the overall experience, which was still pretty damn good. If you love horror, then you really don’t want to miss out on this one. It’s a crazy ride and you will most definitely be entertained!
Fear, Inc. is out on VOD from October 21, 2016.
Details
Director: Vincent Masciale
Writer: Luke Barnett
Cast: Lucas Neff, Caitlin Stasey, Chris Marquette, Stephanie Drake, Abigail Breslin, Patrick Renna, Mark Moses
Plot
A horror junkie and his friends sign up with a company that brings their customer’s greatest fears to life.
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