Time of Fear (2002)
3/10
Predictable, Flawed and Forgettable Thriller
8 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The FBI agent Cheryl Hammer (Cheryl Pollak) arrives in San Pablo, a small town in California, to help the local police to investigate a gruesome and violent murder where the victim's boyfriend is the prime suspect. The joiner Jack Barone (Nick Mancuso), who lost his daughter Lisa ten years ago and is considered insane by the police, tells that the modus operandi of the killer is the same of the man that killed his daughter. When another woman is decapitated with the same savage perversions, agent Hammer asks Barone to help her. Barone's employee Samantha Jennings (Vanessa Lee Evigan) tells him that the last victim was her friend and she noted that she had been followed by a man after her religion encounter in the local church. Hammer and Barone visit Father Patrick LeDoux (Kristofer McNeeley) and they disclose that the murders are related to passages of the Bible. When Samantha is also kidnapped, Barone and Hammer follow their lead to find the serial-killer.

The low-budget "Time of Fear" has nothing to do with film-noir as written in a review that promotes this flick and it is actually a predictable, flawed and forgettable thriller. The story is a rip-off of "Resurrection" (1999), and it is very easy to discover the serial-killer due to the small number of characters. The screenplay is badly written, with many points that are not clear. I can list some of them: (1) Did Barone kill the serial-killer in the end? (2) The actor that performs the killer is miscast since he is too young for committing a murder ten years ago. (3) Why would a well-prepared FBI agent with degree in psychology need a joiner to help in the investigation? The FBI agent leaves the detectives in the precinct and follows the leads with the cabinetmaker. (4) Why did Barone kiss her in the harbor? (5) Last but not the least, the grieving father had his life completely destroyed with the loss of his beloved daughter. Why did he spend time talking to the killer instead of putting a bullet in his forehead. In addition, the story has the usual clichés (snoopy reporter, good cop / bad cop, wrong suspect etc.) and shows beautiful breasts to distract and support the weak plot. The ridiculous and corny conclusion, with Barone, Hammer and Sam in the church like a family, is adequate for this flick. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "O Medo Não Tem Pressa" ("The Fear does not Have Hurry")
8 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed