Crosswalk.com

fear dot com

compiled by Jeffrey Overstreet
from Film Forum, 09/05/02

We've already seen the dangers of surfing this summer in Blue Crush. In feardotcom, Internet surfing proves dangerous and scary. After four people are brutally murdered by a mysterious wwwacko, a daring detective (Steven Dorff) and a researcher from the Department of Health (Natasha McElhone) set a dangerous trap for the elusive online killer.

Christian film critics agree with the mainstream critics on this one. While the story sets good investigators against an evil man, the film spends more energy illustrating the exploits of evil than it does exploring the nature of evil.

Phil Boatwright says, "Besides the gruesomeness of this picture, it's also clichéd and moronic, as well as badly acted and directed. It will surely make most critics' list of worst films of the year."

He goes on to ask if Christians should attend horror films. "In Hollywood's infancy, horror films, like westerns, were actually morality plays. And even today, certain films such as the frightening yet thought-provoking sci-fi thriller Signs still deliver good vs. evil themes. But nowadays most frightening flicks are designed to sell popcorn, aid guys who lacked the courage to wrap an arm around a cute date, and spook the Jujubes out of us."