Fear X is a 2003 psychological thriller film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The first film to be produced from one of Hubert Selby Jr.'s original screenplays,[1] its eventual box-office failure would force Refn's film company Jang Go Star into bankruptcy.[2] Refn's financial recovery was documented in the 2006 documentary The Gambler.[3]
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Fear X | |
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![]() The Past Can Never Be Rewound | |
Directed by | Nicolas Winding Refn |
Screenplay by | Hubert Selby Jr. Nicolas Winding Refn |
Story by | Hubert Selby Jr. |
Produced by | Henrik Danstrup |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Larry Smith |
Edited by | Anne Østerud |
Music by | Brian Eno J. Peter Schwalm |
Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Countries | Denmark United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $6.6 million[citation needed] |
A security guard's wife is killed in a seemingly random incident. Prompted by mysterious visions, he journeys to discover the true circumstances surrounding her murder.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 58% based on reviews from 36 critics. The site's consensus states: "As hazy, unsettling, and fleetingly insubstantial as a dream, Fear X will lose many viewers in its ambiguities, but is partly propped up by strong work from John Turturro."[4] On Metacritic, the film earned a score of 61 out of 100, based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[5]
Though the film itself has received mixed reviews, the majority praise John Turturro's performance. LA Weekly says "Turturro ... never wavers in his commitment to a role that deprives him of nearly all his actorly tools. (He) keeps Fear X fascinating."[6] The New York Daily News says "Turturro's subtle turn keeps our emotional connection solid"[7] and Compuserve adds "Turturro gets under your skin."[4][better source needed]
Director Nicolas Winding Refn commented on the ending within several interviews: In an interview with BBC:
In an interview with IndieWire:
"You can view it in many different ways... it's so up to your own interpretation."'[9]
Actor John Turturro also commented on the ending within an interview with Channel 4: "I liked it because the idea of the story was about a simple man thrust into this overwhelming, debilitating circumstance, and he never really finds out what happens... Nicholas doesn't have all the answers to what he's trying to do. A lot of times these guys, their biggest problem is solving the script, but Nicholas seems to be a filmmaker who likes to throw the script away."[10]
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(Listed chronologically)
The film was shot in sequence (chronological order).[9]
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