A Fantastic Fear of Everything Review

Directed by: Crispin Mills & Chris Hopewell
Written by: Crispin Mills

Cast: Simon Pegg, Paul Freeman, Amara Karan & Clare Higgins

Let me start by saying that I am a huge Simon Pegg fan, I am also a fan of stop motion animation, wacky cinema, and basically any movie that combines the two. When I saw the trailer for A Fantastic Fear of Everything, I thought, “This movie was made for me!” and instantly couldn’t wait to see it.

A Fantastic Fear of Everything is the story of a Writer named Jack (Pegg), who after writing a successful children’s book wants to write a novel about famous murders in history. The research has driven Jack quite mad, causing him to live in a constant state of debilitating paranoia, he sees death around every corner. Pressured by his agent (Clare Higgins) to meet with a publisher, Jack must venture out into the world he’s grown to fear. A stop at the Laundromat proves that just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean the world isn’t out to get you.

I really wanted to like this movie, from all the elements I should have, but unfortunately the whole was not worth more than the sum of it’s parts. Simon Pegg did what he could with a script that desperately needed editing. It could have been great, but so many scenes were dragged out far longer than needed, it leaves the viewer feeling antsy and bored.

My watching companion quite literally fell asleep half way through. I do not blame Mr. Pegg for the flaws of this film, his acting was the only fantastic part of A Fantastic Fear of Everything, but acting alone cannot save a story from a Director and/or Writer that is unable to edit his work.

When another flick comes along with all the elements to cause my heart to twitterpate, I will likely still run to the theater to see it, but after this movie I may not let my hopes rise quite so high. If another flick that’s written by Simon Pegg comes to town, like The World’s End and Shaun of the Dead, then I’ll feel free to cast caution to the wind and let hope soar again.

If only Writer Crispin Mills and Director Chris Hopewell could have drawn from Pegg’s ability to create a polished comedy, maybe, just maybe A Fantastic Fear of Everything could have been saved.