The Alleged 10th Worst Horror Movie Ever Made Is Now Streaming Free; But Is it Really That Bad?
I was so excited when FeardotCom bowed in theaters. The idea of a website that leads to sudden death is a really novel concept. Especially in 2002 when the Internet was still sort of in its infancy. I was less enthusiastic about the idea after taking in the film. It’s not a home run by any means. However, I think there’s some merit if you look closely. Or if you find yourself streaming closely.
The concept is an intriguing one on paper. And the picture definitely has a unique look and feel. I just wish the finished product had come together a little (a lot) differently.
As it turns out, I am one of the few who sees any merit at all in FeardotCom. The film is so universally despised that it graces the Rotten Tomatoes worst horror films of all time list. Yikes. Actually, it even cracked the top 10, coming in 10th in the overall ranking.
The critical consensus on the site reads, “As frustrating as a 404 error, FeardotCom is a stylish, incoherent, and often nasty mess with few scares.”
FeardotCom director William Malone has plenty of talent. I dig what he did with House on Haunted Hill. He is a gifted filmmaker who got chewed up and spit out by the studio system. I don’t think all of the problems with FeardotCom are necessarily his fault. Trying to execute a creative vision with studio interface is rarely pretty. If you want to evaluate the film for yourself, you certainly can. FeardotCom is available to stream on Tubi for free (with ads) as of the publication of this post.
The setup for this Rotten Tomatoes-certified rotten (not a real thing) horror picture goes as follows:
When four bodies are discovered among the industrial decay and urban grime of New York City, brash young detective Mike Reilly (Stephen Dorff) teams with ambitious Department of Health researcher Terry Huston (Natascha McElhone) to uncover the cause behind their violent and inexplicable deaths. The only common factor shared by the victims? Each died exactly 48 hours after logging on to feardot.com.
That’s all that we have for you at present. Make sure to stay tuned to Dread Central for more cool and exciting updates regarding which films within your niche interest set are available to stream and where you can find them. If you’d like to discuss the merits of William Malone’s film career, hit me up on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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