The Overlook: Fear, Inc.

(imdb.com)

Dedicated horror fans often complain about how, over time, they've become desensitized to scares. Even movies that terrify most come across as placid to some aggressively consuming audiences. Playing off of this, some filmmakers have attempted to address these problems head on. In the Scream franchise, horror movie buffs who are seemingly ahead of the killer then become victims and in The Houses October Built, the insatiable desire to be scared took a turn for the deadly when a group of friends look for the best haunted house of their lives. This is basically the foundation of last year's Fear, Inc.; a horror-comedy that shows once again what happens when someone bite off more than they can chew.

Similar to Houses October Built, Fear, Inc. features a group of friends who get caught up in a horror service that takes things very, very far. But, with enough differentiation and a healthy dose of blind comedy, Fear, Inc. is iconic on its own. Opening with a horror fanatic who thinks he's setting his friends up with a company responsible for scaring, this film quickly devolves into a twisting and horrific film asking what limits actually exist in a contract and the question, "who is pranking who?"

Like The Houses October Built, Fear, Inc. brings together a wickedly strong ensemble that is able to balance horror and comedy, given the ridiculousness of the plot. The true star and most definite scene stealer is Lucas Neff (Raising Hope) who plays horror junkie, Joe Foster. His character is the funniest and most blankly accepting of his situation. He adds a lighthearted tone to what could be a very dim film. His girlfriend, Lindsey, is played by Caitlin Stasey (Reign), and Chris Marquette (Freddy vs. Jason) plays his best friend, Ben. The cast is rounded out with Stephanie Drake (Mad Men) playing Ben's wife, and Mark Moses playing the leader of Fear, Inc. 

With so many twists, Fear, Inc. is an unexpectedly good movie. Each of the actors is game for the wild roles they play. Whether being hunted or being tricksters, these characters will completely engross the viewer who will surely be content with whatever they're watching. Fear, Inc. also has a fair set of scares to balance out the comedy. Between some truly energetic deaths and Neff's uncanny ability to seem so unaware and invested in what he believes is a prank, Fear, Inc. gives some truly great moments.

Overall, what makes Fear, Inc. so special is its originality. It toggling between entertainment and horror is cringe-worthy in the best way possible. Even while viewers see and know that the characters have something to be afraid of, the band of friends still accepts it as a joke. This type of disruption is so perfectly captured it's hard to deny this movie as addicting.