Fear (1996) is a psychological thriller film that follows the story of a young girl named Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) who falls in love with a psychopath named David McCall (Mark Wahlberg). As the plot thickens, Nicole realizes that David is not what he seems to be, and their relationship takes a dangerous turn.
The movie begins with Nicole, a 16-year-old girl living in Seattle suburbs with her father, Steven (William Petersen), his new wife, Laura (Amy Brenneman), and Laura’s son, Toby (Christopher Gray). Steven is always busy with work, which makes Nicole feel neglected. One night, Nicole goes out with her friends, Margo Masse (Alyssa Milano) and Gary Rohmer (Todd Caldecott), to a bar where she meets David McCall. David is charming and attractive, and Nicole falls for him.
Nicole and David start dating, and David begins to take an interest in Nicole’s family. Steven allows David to take Nicole out on a date, but David manipulates the clock to make sure Nicole stays out longer than she should. Steven and Laura leave town on a trip, and Nicole takes the opportunity to invite David over to her house. David arrives late and sneaks into Nicole’s room. They have sex, and the next day, David becomes possessive and violent when he sees Nicole hugging Gary.
David beats up Gary in front of Nicole, and she tries to stop him, but he pushes her away. The next day, Nicole’s stepmother notices that she has a bruise and asks her what happened. Nicole lies and says she got hit by a volleyball. David returns to Nicole’s house and apologizes to Steven, but Nicole has lost all trust in David.
David tries to make amends with Nicole, but she decides to end the relationship. David and his gang later surprise Nicole and her friend, Margo, at Margo’s house, and Nicole is forced to endure David’s abuse once again. In the end, Steven saves Nicole from David and ends their relationship for good.
In conclusion, Fear is a thrilling movie that shows the darker side of love. It teaches us how dangerous it can be when we fall for someone who is possessive and manipulative. The movie also showcases some brilliant performances from the cast, especially Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg. Fear is a timeless movie that remains relevant to this day, and it is certainly worth watching.
