Fear

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Fear

R

1996

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When 16-year-old Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) meets 23-year-old David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) at a Seattle nightclub, she falls in love. David is exciting and charming, and despite the wide age gap, he wins over Nicole's family -- except for her workaholic father, Steven (William Petersen), who's suspicious of David from the start. His concerns are realized when David turns out to be a violent sociopath who sees Nicole as his possession, and her family home a fortress to be invaded.

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Critics Consensus

Fear has an appealing young cast, but their efforts aren't enough to consistently distract from an increasingly overblown - and illogical - teen stalker story.

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Susan Wloszczyna

USA Today

01/01/2000

2/4

For a while, the cast is appealing enough, and the design is House Beautiful enough, to camouflage the Fatal flaws that turn the second half into an overblown, predictable snicker-fest.

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Joe Lipsett

Anatomy of a Scream Podcast Network

02/11/2023

3.5/5

Aside from instigating a sexual awakening for a generation thanks to the rollercoaster scene, this murky, messy erotic thriller features a bad boyfriend AND a bad dad, a madonna/whore complex and a very savvy younger brother.

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

03/22/2022

2/4

Fear is so bad that it's good. It provides no scares, but quite a few laughs.

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

07/14/2020

3/5

If there isn't room for a big, dopey teen thriller in your movie-watching life, then the only thing you have to fear is Fear itself.

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

05/04/2020

2/5

It's not great. An interesting way to spend an hour-and-a-half, that's for sure. The performances were fine, but it was so twisted.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

05/04/2020

3/5

It's well-paced, a little crazy and creepy, but that's how it built up the character and the tension...

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Juan C.

@RT56343886 Jun 24

This is now my current favorite movie. The acting by mark is absolutely phenomenal and better than a lot of stuff I’ve seen him in. The range is insane! His best movie imo. I didn’t like that he died at the end though, in my opinion he should got what he wanted just for a more surreal ending.

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Madeline J.

@madelinej13 Jun 19

A good dark romance with a just ending lol

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Soaraia B

@RT17644618 May 30

I love the two main actores, idk how I had no idea about this movie at all. Kinda sad about the dog tho

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Мирон T

@myronnotmiron Mar 5

7/10, not a bad movie, actors were really good, mark wahlberg 10/10, but 4 me, hes not the main character

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Christopher J.

@CMURDR77 Feb 4

I’ll say this, I know the “critics” hate this film but to be early Witherspoon and Wahlberg, two A-Listers these days, movies it is a good movie. Seeing as this came out in the mid 90’s when I was in the USMC 19 and in my whole womanizer phase of life(LOL) this film was an every Friday night before going out on Okinawa Japan stalwart. We’d watch it and of course could quote the whole thing. The speech Wahlberg gives Daddy is an instant classic. “Your inadequacies, your fears” just brilliant. Don’t knock before you try it. Always a 5 star film for this guy.

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Jason M

@Jmo167 Feb 4

All I gotta say is the roller coaster scene.

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James Foley

Director

Mark Wahlberg

David McCall

Reese Witherspoon

Nicole Walker

William Petersen

Steve Walker

Amy Brenneman

Laura Walker

Alyssa Milano

Margo Masse

Fear: Official Clip - Wild Roller Coaster Ride

2:09

Fear: Official Clip - All the Time in the World

2:09

Fear: Official Clip - Forever Hold Your Peace!

2:13

Fear: Official Clip - David Apologizes

1:45

Fear: Official Clip - We Have Something That Everybody Wants

2:13

Fear: Official Clip - The Security Guard Is Shot

1:18

Fear: Official Clip - Let Me in the F***in' House!

1:23

Fear: Official Clip - David Kills Gary

2:10

Fear: Official Clip - Nicole 4 Eva

0:37

Fear: Official Clip - Practically Family

1:46

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Synopsis

When 16-year-old Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) meets 23-year-old David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) at a Seattle nightclub, she falls in love. David is exciting and charming, and despite the wide age gap, he wins over Nicole's family -- except for her workaholic father, Steven (William Petersen), who's suspicious of David from the start. His concerns are realized when David turns out to be a violent sociopath who sees Nicole as his possession, and her family home a fortress to be invaded.

Director: James Foley
Producer: Ric Kidney, Karen Snow
Screenwriter: Christopher Crowe
Distributor: Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Home Entertainment
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.5M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo