Director: Jeremy Lovering.
Starring: Iain De Caestecker, Alice Englert, Allen Leech.
Running Time: 85 minutes.
Certificate: 15.
Synopsis: Tom (Ian De Caestecker) and Lucy (Alice Englert) have just started dating. On their way to meet friends at a music festival Tom surprises Lucy with news of a romantic night at a local hotel. Lucy reluctantly agrees to the detour, however soon regrets her decision as things take a sinister turn when the couple end up lost in the woods with someone or something after them.
The popularity of films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE LAST EXORCISM and [REC] has led to an over-saturation of the ‘found footage’ genre. These films, though in some cases pretty good movies, can be spoilt by an inability to connect with all the cast and in most instances some really shoddy hand-held camera shots. Thankfully, IN FEAR has decided to forgo this in-vogue genre keeping the cameras planted firmly on our leads Tom and Lucy.
The film, directed by Jeremy Lovering, was first screened during this year’s annual Frightfest in London and was very positively received, with whispers of it being the best British horror since Neil Marshall’s THE DESCENT. IN FEAR also garnered comparisons to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT as director Jeremy Lovering kept his cast in the dark for portions of filming hoping to capture real terror in his actors’ eyes.
Set amidst the glorious backdrop of beautiful countryside, IN FEAR is really a film about the strength of relationships. Throughout the film, Tom and Alice’s blossoming union is tested greatly. It starts out with simple fallings out and ends with some SOPHIE’S CHOICE-like decisions. Refreshingly unlike some films that see people lost in the wilderness, Alice and Tom are a couple that you can invest in and empathise with. This is possibly thanks to Lovering providing a minimal script and letting De Caestecker and Englert improvise their lines. They start off all loved-up and flirty, but as night falls the mood soon darkens between the pair as they fail to find their destination. It is within their spats that the couple feel most tangible; we’ve all ended up lost in a car and squabbled with our fellow passengers.
As their journey continues slowly, things outside the car start to get strange. The car alarm sounds whilst they are on foot trying to get their bearings, and personal belongings are found strewn along the roadside, and then they meet Max – but this is a film that works better the less you know. Though it may have been better suited to a Halloween release, IN FEAR is a slow burning, tense chiller that you will think of the next time you go out driving in the countryside at night.
IN FEAR is released in UK cinemas on Friday November 15th.
