Fear (1996)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Amy Brenneman
Director: James Foley
Synopsis: Teen twist on Fatal Attraction tale... stylish if standard fare
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

It had to happen. Indeed, it took a long time coming—a teen take on the wildly successful Fatal Attraction theme. With Fear, we have the familiar scenario of young love turning horribly sour as teenage infatuation gives way to obsession and psychosis.

Reese Witherspoon falls head over heels for the handsome and outwardly charming David (Mark Wahlberg), who pushes all the right buttons, quite literally, and soon has both Reese and her mother eating out of his hands. Protective father William Petersen is far less convinced by Mr Nice Guy and, unsurprisingly, his instincts prove correct when Wahlberg is revealed to be the leader of a particularly nasty gang of delinquents.

From there, the film shifts gears from Fatal Attraction into something much closer to Straw Dogs, as the besieged family find themselves facing the psychotic boyfriend from hell.

Fear is a reasonably enjoyable and mildly suspenseful thriller, the sort of film that passes a couple of hours perfectly well when you've got nothing better to do. James Foley directs with his customary slickness and the cast all acquit themselves well enough. Wahlberg marks another hesitant step away from his rather dreadful "Marky Mark" persona, delivering a decent if unspectacular performance as the unhinged boyfriend, while Reese Witherspoon already displays the screen presence that would soon make her one of Hollywood's brightest young stars.