The anthology movie is a unique idea and experience - the concept being the presentation of multiple stories that revolve around a central idea or theme. Tales from the Crypt was made famous as a weekly series based around the Crypt Keeper telling horror stories. It’s a style that can also be hit or miss when things don’t quite line up. As a horror genre, it gives the chance to shake and awe from multiple aspects in the same film. In other cases, it allows for lesser known directors and writers to show their skills alongside more famous names, possibly to get some notoriety.
The House that Dripped Blood, starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, was an excellent example of a film that told three stories about paranormal happenings in an old house. The house is up for sale and the stories are a large reason why no one was interested. In more recent years, you have the Michael Dougherty directed and written Trick ‘r Treat that revolves around the event of one dark Halloween night. With 30+ years between them, both hold up as excellent examples of how an anthology can work.
Phobias is a story that has the central theme of multiple people being experimented on in an effort to scare them to weaponize fear as a gas. While that is the central story, the meat comes from the various side stories for each presented phobia, the overall idea being that each person was forced to face their scariest moments at a heightened sense of terror to produce the best results. Each segment was led into by an essentially mad scientist singling out each individual victim.
The characters really lacked any sort of personality. There was a lack of development of any sort of connection with the viewer. An issue like this could come along due to a few reasons, with a problem with the actor or script being some of the main reasons. This, coupled with unclear phobias, makes for a drag of a viewing experience. In some cases a story can overcome these issues but this was not one of those cases.
The issue with anthologies is that the stories can break up the coherence of the story if the side stories aren’t well planned and laid out. Phobias falls into that trap. The side stories tend to fall flat with each story representing a specific character’s fears. With each experience, you get bland acting and no concrete explanation as to what each phobia actually was. Some were less confusing than others, but they all left me wondering and bewildered more than jumping in terror. The lack of clarity detracted from the overall feel of the movie. Trying to figure out what each fear meant ended up being more distraction than adding to the plot and story.
Phobias was an interesting concept but falls apart with its flaws. It had the potential to be a good horror anthology. Poor acting, lack of clarity and poor coherence lead to a more distracted viewing instead of a fun evening. I really wanted to like it but from the beginning, having to stop and look up phobias, caused the entire story to just fall apart. An anthology is difficult to pull off in general. With a few adjustments to the stories and better acting it could have been excellent. However, “what could have been” has never made for a successful movie-going evening.
RORSHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: PTSD is a tragic mental condition. Commonly associated with military personnel that have seen tragic events, it also rears its ugly head with victims of various assaults, situations, and abuses. In Phobias it is shown through a law enforcement officer who killed a teen during a raid. Afterward, they show her in everyday situations that trigger flashbacks and drastic reactions. Granted, it is a Hollywood depiction of the condition, but still a relevant one nonetheless. Certain things can trigger anxiety attacks, fears, withdrawal from loved ones, and even worse. There is always help out there. Finding the right therapist is a good start to add to the support loved ones can give you.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Phobias is property of Vertical Entertainment. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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