[Review] In Fear

In this British thriller, Tom & Lucy, a young couple on a road trip to a festival, decide to stop and stay at a hotel. On their way, they journey down a series of sketchy dirt roads that almost archetypally scream, "Yeah something isn't right..." They get lost and things turn especially threatening when night falls. It starts raining (of course), shadowy lurkers stalk the couple, mysterious evils manipulate their path--setting up dangerous traps, almost like Cabin in the Woods but without the meta.

The film is familiar territory, yet it feels welcoming instead of trite. It's a psychological-horror that's efficient and well-crafted, arriving during a small crop of contained thrillers that unfold in real-time, such as Grand Piano, Silent House, and even the new Neeson vehicle Non-Stop. There is some excellent camera work, which alternates between voyeuristic shots and the internal anxieties of protagonists.

In Fear's story keeps you guessing (Lucy even asks the ultimate question, "What the fuck is going on?!"), even though it's void of any magnificent twists or eye-opening reveals. At best, it's a solid little film to view on a dark and stormy evening, and it might raise your levels of paranoia next time you flash your headlights into the unknown.

7/10