Summary

• Fear (1996) showcases rising stars Witherspoon and Wahlberg, capturing obsession gone wrong in a gripping manner.
• While critics slammed Fear, audiences embraced it as a cult classic with impressive staying power, still relevant today.
• Cast members like Witherspoon, Wahlberg, and Milano went on to headline hit TV shows and movies, solidifying their status.

What happens when you find yourself in a situation where your new boyfriend is obsessive and you are the focus of these obsessions? 1996's Fear took this idea and threw it into crazy relief. But it did it with a cast who were either A-list or on their way towards A-list status. Many of the main actors have found themselves headlining their own TV shows and movies, and starring in some of the most well-received media of the past twenty years. Let's take a look at who they were, who they are, and what they've been up to.

What is Fear About?

A girl named Nicole (Reese Witherspoon) is living her sixteen-year-old life, enjoying time with her friends and loving family. When she meets David (Mark Wahlberg) it is a near-instant attraction. David seems like a great guy, even though Nicole's friends are not quite sure about him. Pretty soon, David is extremely involved in Nicole's life, getting her to break rules and, to the dismay of her father (William Petersen), have sex.

The relationship continually devolves even as David makes excuses and apologies. Their relationship is so unhealthy that when Nicole sees David having sex with her friend Margo (Alyssa Milano) and engaging in drug use, she immediately assumes that Margo is a willing participant. In fact, David has raped Margo, something that Nicole must come to terms with.

David makes it very clear not just to Nicole but to everyone around her that he will do everything he can to make sure they are never apart. This means going up against her friends and especially her father, who attempts to take matters into his own hands. This all culminates with a home invasion by David and his group of cronies that ends in absolute disaster.

Fear revels in the idea that obsession can go too far. It seems to pride itself on its ability to continue one-upping its own plot by adding bizarre and unsettling acts for characters to engage in. However, it does still hold a special place in the hearts of fans as "that creepy Mark Wahlberg stalking movie".

A Stacked Cast

As already stated, the film includes people like Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg. At the time, the two were at the start of their acting careers. However, there are many different actors that have gone on to bigger and better projects.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon was only nineteen at the time of the movie but already had at least five films under her belt. She was a rising star and Fear helped solidify this status. Witherspoon would go on to star in films such as Legally Blonde (2001), Pleasantville (1998), and Walk the Line (2005), the last of which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. Witherspoon has now added writer, director, and producer credits to her growing list of personal achievements.

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg was already well known for his rap persona "Marky Mark" when he signed on for this, his third film. Previously, his screentime had been limited to the comedy, Renaissance Man (1994) and the drama, The Basketball Diaries (1995). Fear allowed Wahlberg to show his more menacing side and show his range. He would go on to star in countless blockbuster films including Boogie Nights (1997), The Departed (2006), and the upcoming Arthur the King (2024).

Wiliam Petersen

William Petersen is best known for his character Gil Grissom from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which ran from 2000-2015. The role rocketed him into public view and changed the way people look at procedural forensic work.

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano is no stranger to the spotlight. She started her career in TV and film at roughly the same time, appearing in the show Who's the Boss? for eight seasons while also starring in films like the Arnold Schwarzenegger Commando. Since then she is best known for starring in and producing the show Charmed, which saw her as one of three modern witch sisters.

Amy Brenneman

When filming began on Fear, Amy Brenneman had already had a starring role in the action/thriller Heat (1995). She would go on to have her own series, Judging Amy which ran from 1999-2005. Since that time she has guest-starred on a variety of shows including Grey's Anatomy, Veep, and The Old Man.

Jed Rees

Finally, an interesting character who appears in the film is character actor Jed Rees, who plays David's cohort Knobby. Though his name may be the least known of the cast, his face should be quite familiar. Rees has had guest spots and smaller roles in many TV shows and films. One of these was the comedy Galaxy Quest where he played the alien Teb, and the action/comedy Deadpool where he was the smarmy suit-wearing weirdo that recruited Wade Wilson into the super-soldier program.

But Was It A Good Movie?

Fear was slapped hard by critics. Consider this unedited review by Chris Hicks from the April 16th, 1996 Deseret News:

Any way you slice it, this slick, flamboyantly ludicrous horror yarn is really little more than a showcase for failed movie stars (the intense Petersen, of "To Live and Die in L.A." and "Manhunter," and the once adorable Witherspoon, of "The Man in the Moon" and "A Far Off Place"), slumming TV stars (Milano, formerly of "Who's the Boss?" and "NYPD Blue's" Brenneman), and especially the once-was-a-rapper-now-I'm-an-actor Mark Wahlberg, late of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

That is a brutal takedown. But audiences loved it as a cult hit and regardless of what Chris Hicks has to say, these stars continued to go places. This film was hardly the end of the line for any of those involved. Now that the thriller has found new life thanks to Netflix, it's clear that not only did it find an audience, but it also has impressive staying power for a 30-year-old film.