"Don't be scared" is a thin, sadist thriller about a mysterious man threatening by phone a separated woman at the call-center where she works. He seems to know every move of the woman and her son, their schedules, their habits. The son, suffering his familiar condition, finds solace in imaginary friends isolating from reality.
Longoni tries to build a psychological thriller without explicit violence, as a mark of distinction from American crime stories. It resembles me 'Hide and Seek' with Dakota Fanning of the same year. Premises are similar, but the endings were very different ! For me he achieved his target successfully (critics wouldn't agree), dealing marginally (not superficially) the difficult sphere of pedophilia too. In general, the focus is on the damages a scattered family can cause, especially in regards of children.
Though the low budget limitations it doesn't seem a TV-movie. The recitative level was great thank to Morante and Boni at their ease in dramatic, hot-tempered roles. A final advice for those who have already seen the movie : don't feel disappointed of the ambiguous ending, it HAD to end like this !
Longoni tries to build a psychological thriller without explicit violence, as a mark of distinction from American crime stories. It resembles me 'Hide and Seek' with Dakota Fanning of the same year. Premises are similar, but the endings were very different ! For me he achieved his target successfully (critics wouldn't agree), dealing marginally (not superficially) the difficult sphere of pedophilia too. In general, the focus is on the damages a scattered family can cause, especially in regards of children.
Though the low budget limitations it doesn't seem a TV-movie. The recitative level was great thank to Morante and Boni at their ease in dramatic, hot-tempered roles. A final advice for those who have already seen the movie : don't feel disappointed of the ambiguous ending, it HAD to end like this !