BRING OUT THE FEAR (REVIEW)

Dir. Richard Waters

Reviewer. Martyn Wakefield

BRING OUT THE FEAR is the feature debut of FrightFest New Blood graduate Richard Waters. Its mission being to find emerging UK-based feature screenwriters who are passionate about, and dedicated to, genre film, with the hope of nurturing their projects from script to screen. Rest assured, BRING OUT THE FEAR passes with flying colours,

Rosie (Ciara Bailey) and Dan (Tad Morari) are a couple in a doomed relationship. Deciding to call it a day in the least acrimonious way possible, they decide to take one last walk in a favourite destination; the local forest. But suddenly the endlessly winding paths lead nowhere, the trees never seem to end, the sun never sets and a sinister presence starts stalking and tormenting them, trying to drive them insane - There is no escape, but what exactly are they hiding from?

Low camera shots echoing Raimi's classic series mixed with overhead sweeps of the woodland really show a keen eye of perspective of how big the forest is for two unsuspecting victims. It doesn't take long before the trees become something much more alive than simple stem growth as the pair come across strange sculptures and flashes of morphing branches begin to turn the film into an hallucinatory trip for survival.

BRING OUT THE FEAR is a literal title that plays on the psychological paranoia of a normal couple. The trigger may be supernatural but the unfolding breakdown between the pair is grittingly realistic and emotive to watch. While something sinister is at play, the real battles are between Rosie and Dan and as such the film is carried by the performances of Bailey and Morari. Both really give a sense of authenticity in a movie that feels unnaturally nauseating.

All this is bought together thanks to Steve Nolan's fantastic score. Grabbing the tension by both hands and forcing you to listen. Even movement of the forest magnified to add to the paranoia smothering the couple and the viewer too. BRING OUT THE FEAR is never dull and touches on some serious notes between the human psyche but always remains a firm highlight in horror and really brings to the surface a shining new talent in horror, Mr Richard Waters.