Fear opens up in the stark contrasts of a normal bathroom and from the very beginning draws a dark sense of paranoia and fear. From Steve Kahn comes a short film on the nature of innocence and perception.

 

When she (Jessie Rabideau) decides to take an indulgent bath, the series of events that follow lead to something, well, peculiar. Uncomfortable from the start as she attempt to take peace in the bath, she is disturbed by her dog, then a pestering phone call and then a plethora of innocent coincidences matched by an electric thunderstorm that may culminate into something much bigger, or be the subconscious of paranoia.

 

Kahn’s short film is superbly paced and as the film progresses, her paranoia crosses the screen and what happens questions not only the events that are happening, but those that aren’t. While there is little narrative in ‘Fear’, its structure plays well for its purpose and Rabideau gives a strong performance at portraying her characters mental state.

 

There is something very Lynchian about this that fans of obscure artistic horror will no doubt love. Even at times sharing a visual style akin to Jonathan Glazer’s ‘Under the Skin’ using a stark bright colour pallet and contrasting against the dark corridors as the night goes on. The beauty in ‘Fear’ is that it provokes that sense of the unknown and yet questions what you are seeing unravel.

 

A fantastic piece that is both as deep and meaningful as it is chilling. A film that is sure to gain a fantastic reception and one that should not be missed, from its visual artistic style to unconvention narrative free storytelling, Steve Kahn is a director to watch out for.