Overcomplicated screenplay trying to show off with too many TV twists... so as to cover up the poor quality of character writing. Spader is lost and tries to find confort by looking into his box of tricks but they don't fit since the story is going south. The only one playing right is Aidan Quinn. This isn't really a movie but a second hand TV serial quality something.

I'm surprised this movie has got such a high rating. It starts out very promising with some nice images in the rain. In fact, it is extremely fascinating about until the time when he gets back to his wife and they begin talking. After that the movie falls apart little by little, until it becomes so borderline non-sensible that I just had to turn it off. It is not a matter of "plot twists" as some viewer suggested. Obviously, it is a question of just not being able to put a decent plot together. I see an alarming trend in the new DVD-market where many movies are put out quicker and easier to DVD than it was possible in the good old video days. American horror has suffered in recent years, and did not improve with the pathetic remakes of brilliant Asian horror. Anyway, "Shadow of Fear" is not a horror-movie. It is hardly even a movie. If it had only lasted until he got back to his wife, and she then turned into a demon or something; then it would have been a good "Twilight Zone"-episode but when a movie-plot collapses like that in one superfluous scene after the other then it becomes irrelevant to watch. As one viewer suggested, we are never told what this "organisation" does. I think, this is a major problem. On the back of the DVD it said something about a secret "cult"-organisation with big power. It sounded promising but in the movie this organisation seems completely devoid of power, so what's the point?

They say that Hollywood always is looking for something new. So how come they decided to produce this film? There's nothing new in "Shadow of Fear". I mean: rainy night, a moment of inattention and the dead guy in the middle of the road. There rest is as unimaginative as the beginning.Well, there were some positive moments. The concept of the secret society created by demonic William Ashbury is quite entertaining and relationship between main character and his father-in-law is somewhat original. But that's it. The main character is rather dull and Matthew Davis isn't the best actor for the part. What's more, Lexi Nikitas must really hate him, since his make-up was overdone. What's with the lipstick? Davis looked almost like a lazy drag who didn't remove the make-up after the show was over.

Rick Cowan's "Shadow of Fear" showed up on cable recently. The only thing that attracted us to watch it was the presence of James Spader, Peter Coyote and Aidan Quinn, perhaps the best known actors in the cast. This film written by Matthew Hollaway and Arthur Marcum, will test even the most patient viewer's patience! First of all, the screen play is vague in explaining what we are watching.The opening sequence shows us Harrison sitting near the table where his father-in-law and his cronies, presided by the creepy William Ashbury are discussing things that probably Harrison can hear, yet, he is not invited to participate in the discussion. He is given a drink, but when he goes to pay, the waiter shows him that it's already been paid by Ashbury. He then goes home on a rain storm. The moment he gets distracted, he hits the man standing in the middle of the road. What to do? Call the police? No, instead Harrison disposes the body not too far from the road, a move that will carry terrible consequences for this young man.This being said, sounds like the premise of a good mystery film, but instead, the writers have complicated the story in such a way, that at times, one wonders with incredulity all the twists and turns in a plot that doesn't ultimately prove anything at all. By not making clear the activities of the group, we start losing interest in the film, and nothing that is done later on to explain why everything happened makes sense.James Spader doesn't add anything to his otherwise excellent career in the movies. Ditto for Peter Coyote, Aidan Quinn, and the rest of the cast. Matthew Davis who is at the center of the story appears to be miscast for the role of Harrison. Perhaps with a stronger lead could have made more sense.