Why so much hype?

Captivating movie !

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A $6000 budget (ok, estimated. I'm sure it would've been a lot more than that had it had real actors) and you're going to snark about it? The story is good. The twists are good. The acting is, ok, wearing a mask is good. You can get an Oscar by painting your face. Just ask what's-his-name the drug addict in the Batman movies.Ok, yeah, it needs real special effects. And real actors. But on a $6k budget? I think some costs were under reported. Maybe financed by the CIA or something. Enjoy the movie. Have a couple drinks and enjoy the movie. Give this kid some $$ to do a real film and you'll find something good.

Some movies are bad in such a way that they're entertaining or amusing. This is not such a movie. This one is just painful to watch and painful to listen to because the directing, editing, and acting is all so bad. At one point early on the doughy, half-dimensional "star" was being tortured and I actually envied him because he wasn't sitting on my couch watching this movie.I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because it obeyed my commands and stopped when I pressed the Stop button.

This film originally called "Rising Fear" was subsequently released under the title of "America Has Fallen." It is well worth the price of a rental or a streaming, due to the fast-paced action and suspense.The DVD version of the film includes a commentary track in which Tom Getty describes how his film was made on a shoestring budge of $6,000. (That figure is correct--not $6 million, but $6,000!) Getty also discusses how he wore different hats of writer, producer, director, actor, editor, visual effects designer, and musical composer. In short, the film was his baby.The film's concept sought to go beyond a simplistic "man-on-the-run" action film to make a statement about the nature of modern terrorism. Out of the chaos of the bombing of the Snyder Building in Pittsburgh comes the dictum that "fear is the one true God." In turn, Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous speech suggesting that "there is nothing to fear but fear itself" is invoked in the film.Much thought and creativity are apparent in the film, including the portrayal of narcissism, grandiosity, and megalomania, as opposed to religious belief, as the salient characteristic of the terrorist. The hero named Ryan, who is played by Getty, is not a superhero, but closer to an anti-hero. Early in the film, he is taken for a sucker by the character Amanda, who gives Ryan her phone number, which is instantly used by Ryan to ignite the bomb at the Snyder Building. The protagonist then gets deeper and deeper into the vortex of chaos as he attempt to clear his name.The technique of the film was far from perfect, as is acknowledged by the director in the commentary track. A number of the scenes were poorly edited, leading to confusing moments in the convoluted plot. Still, one has to admire the effort and inventiveness of the film artists, a number of whom were amateurs, in realizing a project that eventually found its way into Redbox machines. Kudos to Tom Getty and his crew!

What a find. Never heard of Tom Getty before this film, which is entirely his: script,lead roll, directing, and editing. Real talent flying under the radar. Great twisting plot and everything Rothschilds said in his review.Like other films in this genre the antagonist gets his 15 minutes to explain his motives which are thought provoking and jarring, bringing to mind Gary Oldmans speech in Air Force One and Ned Beattys in Shooter. But Rising Fear has an element of originality I rarely see, especially in a film with such a small budget. And on that subject the special effects are quite good, and I would like to see a Tom Getty film made with some real money backing so that he might branch out more, even though I don't see how more funds could have improved this effort. If you're a fan of action flicks you really don't want to miss this one.