Tags:
Film: Fear Inc.
Year: 2016
Director: Vincent Masciale
Writer: Luke Barnett
Starring: Lucas Neff, Caitlin Stasey and Chris Marquette
Review:
This film starts with a woman running through a parking garage. She is Abigail Breslin. She is hiding behind a pillar and we see that a man is following her, dragging a baseball bat with nails in it. She is trying to call someone to cancel whatever is happening to her. She gets to the elevator and as the man comes up to kill her, the lights go out. They come back on and she is alone. She heads for her car and security guard appears, Patrick Renna. He asks if she is okay and she confirms she is. He tells her where his office is and he can help if needed. She gets into her car and there’s someone in the backseat.
We then cut to Lucas Neff. He wakes up and sees a list of things that he has to do around the house. Instead he fills his morning playing video games, drinking and just messing around. His girlfriend, Caitlin Stasey, comes home and is upset he hasn’t done anything on the list. We learn that she has a rich father and currently they are living off him.
That night is date night. Neff is really into horror films so they go to a haunted house. Neff can predict when things are going to happen and he doesn’t find it scary. Stasey does though. At the end of it, Neff is disappointed and Renna overhears. He gives him a card for a company called Fear Inc.
The next day, Neff’s friend, Chris Marquette, and his wife, Stephanie Drake, show up to spend some time with them. They spend the whole night playing games and drinking. They all end up in the hot tub where it is revealed that growing up, Neff for a time lived with Marquette and his family. Stasey didn’t know this. It is there that they would have movie nights every weekend and started Neff’s love of horror films. He throws out the idea of Fear Inc to them and Marquette states they shouldn’t do it. Breslin was his boss and he claims that ever since she did it, no one has seen her. We then get a scene where Neff goes off to get something. Those still in the hot tub hear something by the hedge and Marquette checks it out. It turns out to be Neff pulling a prank.
Everyone goes to bed and Neff calls Fear Inc while Stasey is in the bathtub. He is told by a voice that they are all sold out. Neff then hears glass break. He goes to check it out, but in the end he ruins the mood for Marquette and Drake.
It is around Halloween, so the four of them dress up and go to a Halloween party. They get home and Neff is throwing up. Inside he does some cocaine to try to even himself out when the television comes on. There is a reporter who claims that there were four murders at their house. This confuses them and Marquette states no one is outside. According to the report, Neff is the suspected killer. Neff then reveals he called Fear Inc.
Neff goes outside and he is called over by his neighbor. He is Richard Riehle. He tells him that he saw someone in his yard and then we see a masked figure appear from behind him. Riehle is stabbed and Neff thinks it is great. He goes back inside, thinking he just saw a reenactment of the opening to Scream.
The power goes out and the couples get separated. Is Fear Inc behind this? Is this a game or is this really happening? Will everyone survive whatever is going on?
This film I originally heard about from a couple of podcasts I listen to. The concept of the film sounded interesting so I gave it shot. I have to say that I did like the concept. I feel some kinship to Neff in that I’ve watched horror for so long that a lot of it doesn’t faze me anymore. I also love the horror film reference this film makes. Neff knows the major classics which is great. It is also fun to see that some of the situations he is put in and the deaths are from his favorite films. There was one twist that I wasn’t a big fan of, and then I predicted the next couple of twists due to that. The ending did redeem some of this for me. There are some things that are a little bit farfetched to have happen, but I do suspend disbelief a bit about it.
The acting of this film is pretty decent. I thought Neff was solid as the lead. I believe his horror film knowledge and it is great to see him not believing what he is seeing. When he starts to wonder, you can also see the fear which I liked. Stasey is gorgeous and she gives me hope for the future to find someone who will support my love for the genre. I love that about her character. Marquette brings a nice comedic element to the film. Drake was also pretty solid. It is great to see all these other actors in support as well from things I’ve seen.
The effects in this film are solid as well. It looks like they were done practical for the most part, which I’m a fan of. There is a moment when I thought something looked fake and then you learn something soon after, so I let it slide. I definitely think this was a plus for the film. The editing of the film was also decent. The film does meander for a bit in the middle, but not very long before getting back into it. The tension builds while still having some spots where we get some release. I think that’s important for a horror comedy. I like what they did with the score, incorporating some parts of it back into the film. I think this was another plus for the film.
Now with that said, I would recommend this film. This is a combination of home invasion and horror comedy. I thought they blended it pretty well together. The story has some concepts I’m a big fan of like the horror film references, that meta aspect and trying to find something that scares you. The story has a few twists, which the first caught me off guard, but the rest of them were a little predictable. I did like how it ends though. I thought the acting was pretty solid. The effects were good. The editing of the film did have a little issue for me, but it does build the necessary tension. The score did some good things. I feel that this film has a pretty scary concept to it and is an above average horror film. I’d say to give it a viewing if this sounds good.
My Rating: 7 out of 10