Review of Complex of Fear

Introduction

Police officer Ray Dolan and his wife Michelle move into a peaceful apparetment complex in an American suburb. The peace is shattered by a series of rapes and soon everyone is a suspect and no woman is safe. Fearing for his wife`s safety Ray is determined to get to the bottom of things and catch the attacker.

Based on a true story this film follows the usual Odyssey low budget style of B list actors giving varying performances, kind of like your lucky-dip of the movie world.

Video

The full frame, non-anamorphic picture is best described as VHS quality. It lacks any real sharpness and the colours are very flat. There are also some instances of grain and print dirt and areas of black lose are devoid of any detail.

Audio

The Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack is flat and lifeless with the rear channels largely inconspicuous throughout. The front channels also exhibit a faint background hiss in quieter scenes. Far from impressive sound quality.

Features

A Trailer attempts to satiate our desire for extra material.

Conclusion

These films usually live or die on the quality of the story itself and this one dies on it`s arse. The movie tries to portray itself as a sort of whodunit however these work on the basis that you try to work out who it was through evidence or clues in the movie itself. In this instance there are too many undeveloped characters involved that you really don`t have much to go on. As a result the revelation of the attacker`s identity is an oddly hollow experience.

The movie also attempts to tackle the issues surrounding rape however it brushes them aside far too easily. With an issue so traumatic you would expect some sort of sympathy for the victims but any opportunity to build any sympathy or feeling is skirted over so briefly that you never feel involved in the story or actually care what the outcome is.

So much more could have been done with this movie but in the end we`re left with a lack lustre DVD release of a lack lustre story. Not recommended.