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Fear

Play trailer Poster for Fear R Released Apr 12, 1996 1h 36m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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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Fear

Fear

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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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Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Susan Wloszczyna USA Today 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. Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Joey O'Bryan Austin Chronicle Rated: 1/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Joe Lipsett Anatomy of a Scream Podcast Network 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. Rated: 3.5/5 Feb 11, 2023 Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot Fear is so bad that it's good. It provides no scares, but quite a few laughs. Rated: 2/4 Mar 22, 2022 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) 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. Rated: 3/5 Jul 14, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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River P I really liked Fear. Such a good flick. It’s got a great cast. Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, William Petersen among others. One of Mark Wahlberg’s best films and roles. He does a really solid job in the film. It showcases his ability of being a psychopath. He pulls off the role really well. Reese Witherspoon does a beautiful job in her performance. The one moment in the movie I can think of is towards the end when Mark speaks to William through the door hole and he’s talking in kind of a creepy way and he shouts “so let me in the house.” I love that scene. Fear is a solid psychological dramatic thriller. My personal favorite film and role with Mark Wahlberg. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Niza R One of Mark Wahlberg's best performances, his acting carries this movie to a different level. While the plot is a little lackluster, the twist and turns displayed make it incredible and definitely worth a watch. I didn't research the movie at all so i thought i was getting into a cheesy teen movie, but was pleasantly surprised by thrill and suspense. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/08/25 Full Review Cecilia S Have rewatched this so many times and always pick up something new I've missed Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/21/25 Full Review Robyn M I agree with reboot review. Love to see an updated version Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/25 Full Review Vik D So good. Love to see a reboot Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/23/25 Full Review Stephen H “SO LET ME IN THE F’ING HOUSE!!!” Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Fear

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Fear

Fear: Official Clip - Wild Roller Coaster Ride Fear: Official Clip - Wild Roller Coaster Ride 2:09 Fear: Official Clip - All the Time in the World Fear: Official Clip - All the Time in the World 2:09 Fear: Official Clip - Forever Hold Your Peace! Fear: Official Clip - Forever Hold Your Peace! 2:13 Fear: Official Clip - David Apologizes Fear: Official Clip - David Apologizes 1:45 Fear: Official Clip - We Have Something That Everybody Wants Fear: Official Clip - We Have Something That Everybody Wants 2:13 Fear: Official Clip - The Security Guard Is Shot Fear: Official Clip - The Security Guard Is Shot 1:18 Fear: Official Clip - Let Me in the F***in' House! Fear: Official Clip - Let Me in the F***in' House! 1:23 Fear: Official Clip - David Kills Gary Fear: Official Clip - David Kills Gary 2:10 Fear: Official Clip - Nicole 4 Eva Fear: Official Clip - Nicole 4 Eva 0:37 Fear: Official Clip - Practically Family Fear: Official Clip - Practically Family 1:46 View more videos
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Movie Info

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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