“In Fear” is a simple Indie film. A three-person cast confined to an automobile for most of its 86 minutes. The premise reminded me of “Locke” which I loved. Would the added element of horror make for a new favorite?
It’s a British production, written and directed by filmmaker Jeremy Lovering. It premiered at Sundance in January of 2013. Despite being set on the backwoods roads of rural Ireland, “In Fear” was filmed in the English counties of Cornwall and Devon.
Two Primary Characters
We’re introduced to Tom and Lucy, our protagonists. The pair are two weeks into their courtship. Tom (Iain De Caestecker) has invited Lucy (Alice Englert) to a festival. They plan on staying the remote Kilairney House Hotel, and one can surmise the plan is to take the relationship to the next level.
Right away, this is good stuff. Tom and Lucy are typical young adults in a new romantic pairing. And it’s not like they were friends for years and just started dating. They have literally only known one another for two weeks. As such, they aren’t at a comfort or familiarity level of people who have a decades long friendship, or a married couple, or even siblings. They are a fortnight shy of being complete strangers.
Iain De Caestecker plays Tom with a steady hand. He’s a quintessential everyman. Working hard at impressing his new lady. We’ve all been there. Likewise, Alice Englert shows us the grounded but optimistic side of Lucy. She likes Tom, sort of. Maybe things will work, maybe they won’t. She’s super cute but not out of Tom’s league. I would enjoy watching the pair on a reality dating show.
Alas, things aren’t going to go as planned. They get lost driving to the hotel on a series of winding dirt roads. It seems like no matter which way they drive, they get further engulfed in the labyrinth of darkness. The GPS isn’t working. The gas (or petrol as they call it) is running low. Its nearing nightfall. And someone, or something is tormenting them from the woods.
Setting
Most of the film takes place inside Tom’s car. It’s not a behemoth Bronco, but a standard sedan. Its a claustrophobic cabin for the two, further escalating the tensions after they get lost. The country roads they drive on are extremely narrow, engulfed by menacing forest on either side.
The tormentors could be any of several situations that are introduced. A guy Tom wronged in a pub before the trip. Someone residing in a ramshackle house with numerous Keep Out signs on the fence. A character played by Allen Leech is introduced at the midway point, which spices things up.
The filming is great. Inside the car, we get closeup shots that make the emotions between Tom and Lucy feel personal. Outside, the muddy forest roads and darkened landscape are perfect, if not common for horror. It’s like “The Strangers” except rather than a home, it’s a car invasion.
Like Tom’s car, “In Fear” runs out of petrol before reaching its destination. While the tension is packed from beginning to end, the story gets repetitive and by the final act, goes in a direction that I didn’t care for.
I do recommend “In Fear” for October viewing. It’s a quick thriller that’s acted well and unique in style. While not as riveting as “Locke” the horror elements are enough to give it seasonal value.
