Director:
Brooks Benjamin
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Awards Won:
Best Actress, Bare Bones Independent Film Fest '07
Founder's Award, Secret City Film Fest 2006
Website:
http://www.pointoffear.com
Score:
2/5
Brooks Benjamin’s film is above average in some respects, below average in others and that all factors out to be a pretty average indie horror flick. The low budget is obvious but Benjamin and the cast clearly threw themselves into the project and the generally decent acting and production values make the film watchable if not completely compelling.
As with so many films of this ilk, the shortcomings of the screenplay ultimately take away from the overall quality of the film. It is one thing to employ a run-of-the-mill premise --- young people on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere meet with the unexpected and dangerous – but the story should at least be a bit more plausible and coherent than it is here. Some things simply do not make sense and thus stretch the limits of willing suspension of disbelief.
In this version, the unexpected and dangerous element they encounter is the local therapist, Dr. Jamison, a former big city shrink who moved to the country following the tragic death of his wife and kids. He continues to practice and patients seek him out for his unconventional but wildly effective methods for curing them of the things that scare them thus earning him the name “the fear doctor.” When the doctor encounters one of the sexy campers who makes him suddenly remember his late wife, he snaps and goes on a low-key but nonetheless lethal rampage. “Point Of Fear” then is not really a conventional slasher even though it has a respectable body count it is more a psychological thriller because the identity of the killer is never really in question.
The location is well used and lends some authenticity to the film but there are times where it feels over-edited and the tepid climax where the color is de-saturated feels completely out of place with the rest of the films visual scheme.
In all, if nothing else, the film represents a good try, a noble first effort and, if nothing else, could serve as a good learning experience for director Benjamin who will hopefully put more time into the screenplay before making his next film.
Brooks Benjamin
Genre:
Horror
Length:
Feature
Awards Won:
Best Actress, Bare Bones Independent Film Fest '07
Founder's Award, Secret City Film Fest 2006
Website:
http://www.pointoffear.com
Score:
2/5
Brooks Benjamin’s film is above average in some respects, below average in others and that all factors out to be a pretty average indie horror flick. The low budget is obvious but Benjamin and the cast clearly threw themselves into the project and the generally decent acting and production values make the film watchable if not completely compelling.
As with so many films of this ilk, the shortcomings of the screenplay ultimately take away from the overall quality of the film. It is one thing to employ a run-of-the-mill premise --- young people on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere meet with the unexpected and dangerous – but the story should at least be a bit more plausible and coherent than it is here. Some things simply do not make sense and thus stretch the limits of willing suspension of disbelief.
In this version, the unexpected and dangerous element they encounter is the local therapist, Dr. Jamison, a former big city shrink who moved to the country following the tragic death of his wife and kids. He continues to practice and patients seek him out for his unconventional but wildly effective methods for curing them of the things that scare them thus earning him the name “the fear doctor.” When the doctor encounters one of the sexy campers who makes him suddenly remember his late wife, he snaps and goes on a low-key but nonetheless lethal rampage. “Point Of Fear” then is not really a conventional slasher even though it has a respectable body count it is more a psychological thriller because the identity of the killer is never really in question.
The location is well used and lends some authenticity to the film but there are times where it feels over-edited and the tepid climax where the color is de-saturated feels completely out of place with the rest of the films visual scheme.
In all, if nothing else, the film represents a good try, a noble first effort and, if nothing else, could serve as a good learning experience for director Benjamin who will hopefully put more time into the screenplay before making his next film.