The Fear of 13 (2015)

SPOILER ALERTI am so used to documentaries like this having horrible endings that I constantly waited for the next horrible twist in this man's incredible story. I say incredible story, but not only is the story incredible, this man is incredible. He has had bad luck beyond belief, fueled by a couple of bad decisions. So when this story ended the way it did, I almost shed a tear, which is a very rare thing. Despite the static, empty and gray environment of his confinement, the horrible treatment he received, the indifference from the legal system, he endured it all, and not only that, he grew to become a better and wiser man at peace with himself. How he managed this is beyond my understanding, and it would be an honor if I could ever shake this man's hand. Hearing him tell his story, aided by highly effective visuals, sound effects and music scores, you are taken on an emotional tour through his life. I can easily say that this documentary has affected me more than any other recent title. I recommend watching this to anyone.

Nick Yarris was convicted of a horrible crime and sentenced to death – this is his story. It is basically Nick telling the story of his life to camera and mostly done in a chronological fashion. There is some re enactment of his past life as a child but that is a small part of the film.For a film that basically just has one man talking to the camera for the majority of the time, this is incredibly powerful. It is an amazing, sad and moving story and I challenge anyone not to be moved by it. I watched it over a week ago and have only just decided to write a review to see if the film had lost any of its potency and nope it has not. To say any more runs the risk of spoiling the story so I will demur, this is recommended to anyone who appreciates the uniqueness that real life can portray and who appreciate quality in their film making.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning In 2002, Nick Yarris, a death row prisoner since 1985, wrote to the authorities, eager to move his execution date forward, not relishing the prospect of going through another appeal, before some startling new evidence came to light and quashed his conviction after many years. Speaking directly to the camera, he narrates the tale of the build up to his arrest, the circumstances surrounding his life at the time, his experiences in prison and some traumatic events from his past that further shaped his mind.There can't be much more interesting sights to witness than that of a man with nothing to lose. A man who can reveal his innermost desires, thoughts and feelings without any sense of trepidation, given he's already building up to the final moment when it will all be gone. From our first moment with him, Nick Yarris strikes us as a guy with words just flying off the tip of his tongue, but with a surprising degree of eloquence and articulation (having taken up reading old books during his lonely hours on death row) in how he conveys them. And, in a short time frame, director David Sington draws out plenty of backstory from him.Yarris was hardly a model citizen before his incarceration, and if you consider we don't even learn of his innocence until the end, it's even harder to illicit sympathy with someone who still describes a life with little respect for the law and individual liberty. But nonetheless, he still spins quite a gripping yarn, and Sington further enhances the experience with the use of the camera, slowly hovering over seemingly mundane objects, and capturing the eerie silence of the empty prison with great clarity.It takes a deeply unappealing individual, and somehow manages to illuminate him as a human being, and enthral you in his woes and wherefores. A stirring and emotional tale that shines light from the darkest place. ****

I've watched many documentaries about crime and listened to people who have committed crimes. I don't usually rate documentaries because they provide different information that is important across the board and I can't put a rating on that.This is my first ever review and the reason why I chose to review this film is because it's one of the most captivating and detailed story I've ever listened to, about crimes someone have committed. Throughout the film, I kept asking myself, why is this (former) prisoner so good at storytelling and why was he in prison, it is almost like you almost can't believe that the story actually happened because of the way he was conveying it. The cinematics were just enough to compliment Nick Yarris' story which made it all together very engaging and beautiful. Even though he went back and forth in history while he told his story, it was still easy to understand because it all came together as he spoke.A wonderful story that everyone should hear.