The Fear Inside

Stars: Christine Lahti (Leaving Normal, The Doctor, Swing Shift), Dylan McDermott (Hardware, Steel Magnolias, Hamburger Hill), Jennifer Rubin (Delusion; The Doors; A Woman, Her Men, and Her Futon). In this unusual, stylish, and compulsively watchable film, Christine Lahti is characteristically strong as Meredith Cole, a children's book illustrator who has an advanced case of agoraphobia. In fact, Meredith is so afraid of dealing with the outside world, that she hasn't stepped past her front door in a year. Separated from her husband, living alone with her young son Sean, Meredith takes in a border named Jane (Jennifer Rubin), whose "brother" Pete (Dylan McDermott) shows up shortly after. Jane and Pete are young psychopaths in love who cannot control their murderous impulses. In one disturbing scene, Jane kills a UPS delivery man by beating him to death with a shovel, and then tells the miffed Pete, "God, it's not like I killed the Pope." The problem, of course, is that vicious wackos Pete and Jane--who have all the self-control of a 4-year-old in Toys 'R Us--always manage to be perfectly rational human beings in front of Meredith, early on. While this strains the credibility more than a tad, it's necessary for the build-up. In the pull out all the stops Grand Guignol finale, the audience is held riveted in their seats wondering whether Meredith will take the plunge and walk out the front door to save herself. Offbeat dialogue, creepy performances by McDermott and Rubin as well as Lahti's totally convincing portrayal of woman in the iron grip of a phobia, and the stylish direction of Leon Ichaso (El Super), raise The Fear Inside above the standard thriller. Audience: The unusual plot and strong characterization will appeal to most thriller fans and could make this a semi-popular title. Sensitive souls, however, would be well advised to steer clear.