A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2014)

Consistently well paced and visually interesting.Simon Pegg was very energetic and into the character. But I found myself continually agitated because of some very bad writing. When there was an extended voice-over at the beginning, I knew I was in trouble.We arrive when Pegg is absolutely crazy, petrified about being attacked by---someone. No one is really out to get him which is made more confusing by one shot where there is a figure down the hallway that ducks out of sight. This fear is prompted by his extensive research into serial killers. This fear activates by some vague mixture of a man at a restaurant and a newspaper about a murder victim. More milking the fear for no real reason. The "flat" he lives in is also very confusing as I don't know if it's a house or an apartment. A very odd-shaped apartment where I'm lead to believe he's in the hallway of the apartment building itself when that is not the case. A very large apartment for someone who is supposedly broke.There is an ex-wife mentioned but never shown or elaborated. There is a children's book that is reviled by him for reasons that happened off- screen.Then we finally get to the REAL reason for his fear. He doesn't like the laundromat. Okay? Then in a quick verbal backstory we find that he is broke and needs to sell his screenplay. This is after a bunch of movie that has no relevance to the second half.Pegg has to meet a producer in 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is his last change (for no real reason). He has no clean clothes. Thus, he ends up needed to go to the laundromat. GASP!(I need to stop now to mention the terrible timing in this. Apparently nobody remotely associated with this movie goes to a laundromat as the character's ideas about timing were way off. He thinks he needs 30 minutes a wash and dry. Nevermind that the machine ON CAMERA says the load is 44 minutes.) Okay, never mind that we have no explanation on how he ended up with no clothes. Sure, he hates laundromats but has he been sending the wash out for the past 30 years? Why can't he have a machine in his very large apartment in very expensive London? You know, one where the lid does not lock (as depicted in the movie)?So, he's afraid of the laundromat as his mom abandoned him there. We then see his child self creep into the back. Nevermind that there is no subsequent contact with the killer as a child, as suggested on screen. We just forget all that. (And the fact that it's the exact same laundromat. No new machines in 30 years? No changes to the walls or floors? No.)But there they are as adults with no mention of them crossing paths. Standing alone, it was performed very well. But it made no sense. Even when his character invites the girl to dinner in the midst of their captivity. They escape and he publishes a book (likley months later) and THEN she brings up the dinner? Yes, that scene was just previous but that doesn't mean it was yesterday.

Simon Pegg is a cooky fellow. It's not surprising that he's taken on the role in A Fantastic Fear of Everything. Jack is his weirdest character to date. Pegg owns his character, moulding the story around his subversive behaviour. He's in too deep with his work, researching notorious serial killers for his book freaks him out to no end. A film-maker shows interest in his work, and a meeting's arranged. Jack must face the outside world in preparation for his big moment. Pegg and the team behind the scenes manage to turn a boring narrative into an intriguing one. Pegg spends the second third of AFFoE in a launderette, suspicious of fellow launderette-ers and in need of a beginners guide to washing clothes. This won't be for everyone. The comedy's dry. The story's far-fetched and at times, drags. Pegg maybe exceptional enough to see you through to the bitter end, or lager end.

I am a very big fan of Simon Pegg, (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Worlds End and Paul). A Fantastic Fear of Everything is not Pegg's best work, but still a rather enjoyable film that I found hilarious (The best was probably PC Taser playing 'Final Countdown' near the end).A Fantastic Fear of Everything is one of those films that you just need to sit back, watch, and just enjoy the film for what it is. I have only watched it once, and, truth be told, it will probably stay that way.There isn't really much else to say about this film. It is basically a Comedy/Thriller about a guy scared to go outside because he thinks he is going to be murdered. Just watch it.

Have you ever suddenly had a irrational fear of something? Like when you were scared of the monster in the closet as a child or the weird neighbor with the glass eye and walking stick? Well this film puts this common and often missed part of life into a quirky and amusing perspective with the gem of Simon Pegg starring. Personally this type of filmmaking pulls me in as it uses simple bit effective shots to put the characters state of mind across instead of, solely, relying on computer editing and over sized camera cranes. It also drags me in because it gives me a much preferred break from the tiresome American style, big budget, cinematography with its mind puzzling and intelligent style. It actually reminds me of some of the Sky Arts short TV films which I think this film should have been aimed at, instead of the big screen. Simon Pegg performs perfectly with is 'quirky' and 'on edge' style of acting which made him such the star he is today. His style of acting works linear to the film making it enjoyable to watch. One problem I did have with it though was how much the start lagged at the beginning which did make me ever so slightly loose interest but when it finally picks up you will be in awe at how great this film really is. This is definitely a film to watch if you have a sophisticated film mind.