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

Jan 1, 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

Feb 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

Mar 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)

Jul 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

May 4, 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

May 4, 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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Gunner I

@RT64755212 Sep 16, 2026

To be one of Mark Wahlberg's first movies, this movie is not too bad. Mark Wahlberg actually did a very good job playing the bad guy.

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Barbara M

@Barbara1561 Sep 12, 2026

This movie is 10 out of 10! I’ve seen it many times and it does not disappoint! Very suspenseful from the beginning to the incredible end. A must see!

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 6, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 Aug 10, 2026

Fear (1996) It's the kind of movie that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. It's not exactly groundbreaking, as we've seen many similar films in this genre even today. However, it's only worth seeing once in a lifetime.

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Juan C.

@RT56343886 Jun 24, 2026

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, 2026

A good dark romance with a just ending lol

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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

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Fear: Official Clip - All the Time in the World

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Fear: Official Clip - Forever Hold Your Peace!

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Fear: Official Clip - David Apologizes

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Fear: Official Clip - We Have Something That Everybody Wants

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Fear: Official Clip - The Security Guard Is Shot

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

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Fear: Official Clip - David Kills Gary

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Fear: Official Clip - Nicole 4 Eva

0:37

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Fear: Official Clip - Practically Family

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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

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