Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Fresh and Exciting

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

A Fantastic Fear of Everything gives us Jack. And Jack is a hilariously exaggerated glimpse into the life of a writer who has fallen into the pit of obsession. Like they tend to do. Murder? Phobias? Knife wielding? Little accidents with glue and stoves? Tighty whities?Please!Very British, funny, and oddly relatable.

Simon Pegg must be an awfully emotional fellow. Between his work in A Fantastic Fear of Everything and Hector and the Search for Happiness, it's practically a surprise this year's Disney/Pixar juggernaut Inside Out wasn't released starring Pegg as all five dominant emotions (I'd watch that movie). His foray into fear, however, is offbeat and unsettling enough to make most Disney-calibre audiences baulk. In fact, it's not entirely clear which audience A Fantastic Fear of Everything is geared towards, offering an oddball blend of Gothic horror, black comedy, surrealist, Roald Dahl-esq animated interludes, and the occasional broad slapstick just to remain extra unpredictable. If my bleary, incredulous eyes didn't deceive me, at one point the film hits the pause button and simply becomes a music video featuring Simon Pegg gangsta rapping.If that sounds a bit muddled, it's because it is. The premise, which has Pegg's children's author researching Gothic murder stories for a television series, becoming increasingly agoraphobic and paranoid in the process, starts off great. Pegg is infinitely charismatic and quirky, and able to wrench enough comedic mileage out of fearfully interacting with basic household items or cringing at every creak in the hallway (ably punctuated by Michael Price's booming Gothic score, which, bizarrely, lifts its main theme from the 1998 Roland Emmerich Godzilla of all things…) to make for a thoroughly enjoyable first act. The vibe is one of an early Charlie Chaplin short: essentially a one-man show, with every possible prop or scenario lending itself to slapstick silliness, and Pegg plays it to the hilt. So far, so good.Unfortunately, this private horror-show is only sustainable for so long before Pegg's expository voice-over begins to grate on the nerves somewhat, the premise feeling increasingly strained. Once Pegg tentatively ventures out of his house, debut writer/director Crispian Mills flounders somewhat, tangibly unsure as to how best to proceed. The second act skews somewhere between Freudian psychodrama (cue Paul Freeman of Raiders of the Lost Ark fame, having tremendous fun as Pegg's garrulous German therapist) and undercooked murder mystery, mostly staged, bizarrely enough, in a laundromat. And while Mills conjures up enough Gothic atmosphere and twists and turns to prevent the film from ever becoming boring, it's seldom that engaging either, and some of Mills' unorthodox creative choices are downright questionable (a recurring joke involving Pegg doing a cringeworthy impression of his Vietnamese neighbours comes uneasily to mind). By the time things definitively careen off the rails in an unhinged climax followed by a saccharine denouement that can't help but ring false (possibly intentionally), puzzling has become the adjective du-jour, and viewers are more than likely to begin mirroring Pegg's contorted expressions of terrified incredulity and disbelief.If nothing else, Mills can't be faulted for lacking in ambition in his debut feature film, and Pegg's hugely enjoyable presence guarantees the film never descends into a total disaster. Nonetheless, A Fantastic Fear of Everything is a confounding beast – too silly to play well to Poe junkies, and too dark and surreal to satisfy most comedic tastes. Ultimately, the film is best consumed in the vein of one of Pegg's horror vignettes: with the lights on, one eyebrow perpetually raised, and a stiff drink handy to guarantee safe passage back to the 'real world'.-6/10

This film is absolutely terrible we were desperate for something to watch and found this with simon pegg thinking it was a safe bet as he has done obvious good films. Narrrgggh this film is rotten we lasted about 50 mins and enden up with it just on in the background what was he thinking do they not watch their own film or do they get so Rich it doesn't matter what tripe they bash out its money in the bank, 99% of the time hes running round his flat looking unconvincingly scared with his knife not even sure there is anyone else in this film Boring Boring Boring ROTTEN PEGG stick to what you know fat boy run etc was fantastic what the hell is this tripe, sure you will get a few fools who think its a dark comedy or cult follow etc etc nargh don't risk it its crud.

For any fans of Simon Pegg or independent cinema who may potentially be discouraged from viewing this film due to the low ratings, don't be fooled! "A Fantastic Fear of Everything" is an incredibly well-done film from start to finish. Pegg delivers a brilliant performance as an agoraphobic writer attempting to delve into the world of Victorian killers for a new book project. His paranoia forces him into a number of hilariously unfortunate and unexpected situations. This is not your typical middle school toilet humor nor does the film set up jokes you can see coming a mile away.Overall, the film is humorous, entertaining, and incorporates a number of dark, unorthodox story-telling features (including bits of animation). Therefore, if you primarily enjoy big-budget blockbusters or expect that every film featuring Simon Pegg to be "Shaun of the Dead" that sadly, you will probably not enjoy this film. However, if you appreciate story-telling, exemplar acting, and something a little different than the norm, I would highly recommend this film.