Photo-realistic creature FX wizard, Robert Hall directs this direct-to-video fear flick starring The one and only Freddy Kruger, actor Robert Englund as a brilliant doctor who finds a way to cure his patients' extreme phobias through a makeshift sensory deprivation chamber that creates hallucinations that eventually eradicate that area of the brain that controls fear. Unfortuanately "fear" is actually a demon incarnate, (or something) and wants retribution against the clinic's inhabitants for trying to defeat it in the first place.
Some may find this to be a clever concept with a modest budget controlled very well with production value and efforts from the cast. Others, including myself find it to be a convoluted, CGI ridden mess with most of the action incoherent and a premise that fails to justify an extremely bizarre and confusing climax. The performances of the cast are quite impressive. Englund is convincing as the conflicted doctor and Fred Dekker (The Sarah Conner Chronicles) is very good as a cripple who's brain begins to regenerate after the treatment. The strangeness really kicks into gear when people begin to die after their treatments are rather successful, and for some reason or another the doctor is possessed by the "fear" entity in an onslaught of nightmarish special FX. Its induced with lots of panic and emotional drama from the female cast as well as male cast behaving like typical douchebags. Other performances include Fiona Dourif, the daughter of veteran genre actor and voice of Chucky the killer doll, Brad Dourif and the acting debut of talented heavy metal front-man, Corey Taylor of bands, "Slipknot" and "Stone Sour" as a clinic orderly. With that in mind, this fulfills most of the clichés with teen screams, big-boobed sex scene, a little bit of gore but not much to expect from what resembles an intensely atmospheric music video much of the time. Its not bad if you don't have anything else to watch.
Some may find this to be a clever concept with a modest budget controlled very well with production value and efforts from the cast. Others, including myself find it to be a convoluted, CGI ridden mess with most of the action incoherent and a premise that fails to justify an extremely bizarre and confusing climax. The performances of the cast are quite impressive. Englund is convincing as the conflicted doctor and Fred Dekker (The Sarah Conner Chronicles) is very good as a cripple who's brain begins to regenerate after the treatment. The strangeness really kicks into gear when people begin to die after their treatments are rather successful, and for some reason or another the doctor is possessed by the "fear" entity in an onslaught of nightmarish special FX. Its induced with lots of panic and emotional drama from the female cast as well as male cast behaving like typical douchebags. Other performances include Fiona Dourif, the daughter of veteran genre actor and voice of Chucky the killer doll, Brad Dourif and the acting debut of talented heavy metal front-man, Corey Taylor of bands, "Slipknot" and "Stone Sour" as a clinic orderly. With that in mind, this fulfills most of the clichés with teen screams, big-boobed sex scene, a little bit of gore but not much to expect from what resembles an intensely atmospheric music video much of the time. Its not bad if you don't have anything else to watch.