FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING, A

A quick IMDb search for A Fantastic Fear Of Everything will reveal a shit load of negative feedback but anyone with a lick of common sense will disregard most of it when you realise some of the comments include "No Nick Frost?" as though Simon Pegg is incapable of upholding a career of his own. Perhaps there's a little too much going on in this movie for those people because I really got a kick from it. Simon Pegg plays a professional writer who suffers (as the title suggests) a fear of absolutely everything after researching notorious serial killers for his upcoming book. House-bound and skittish he permanently clutches a carving knife and obsesses over an imminent death. Eventually he is forced to leave the house and from this moment the film's comical nature turns into something darker. I won't reveal much more, only to say that this oddball Hitchcockian comedy is something to embrace. I'm sure most of us have known neurotic personalities in our lives and Pegg performs his guts out in this role. He holds the film on his own and carefully balances a slapstick caricature with a troubled soul dealing with deeply rooted psychological issues. There are a few overdone moments but for the most part this film works on multiple levels. I can see it working as a stage-play and would probably pay to see it. Underrated, understated and under appreciated.

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