Fear the Night
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Blunt, primal home-invasion thriller with powerful women.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Fear the Night
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In FEAR THE NIGHT, Iraq war veteran Tess (Maggie Q) is invited to her younger sister Rose's (Highdee Kuan) bachelorette party. Their other sister, Beth (Kat Foster), and Tess are at each other's throats, with Beth worried that the serious, cynical Tess is going to ruin the fun and Tess thinking that Beth is too much of a controlling mother hen. Five other friends -- Mia (Gia Crovatin), Esther (Kirstin Leigh), Noelle (Ito Aghayere), Bridget (Brenda Meaney), and Divya (Roshni Shukla) -- join them. Their destination is a remote, unused house that belongs to Rose, Beth, and Tess's parents. After a stop at a mini-mart and a run-in with some unpleasant locals, the party begins. But it's soon interrupted when one of their number is shot with an arrow, and a group of masked men starts demanding entry into the house ... or else.
Is It Any Good?
Bare-bones and somewhat simplistic, Neil LaBute's home-invasion thriller is still sharply effective, touching on themes of violence and female empowerment in a blunt, primal manner. Since the beginning of his career, LaBute has explored the more toxic side of male-female interactions, but with Fear the Night, as in House of Darkness, he uses genre to make his point with more brute force. He spends a little time setting up the characters' sisterly dynamic, as well as Tess's ever-alert paranoia and hair-trigger defense mechanisms, before the first sudden violence occurs.
The attacks are swift and cruel, never sustained fights meant for thrills. We're meant to feel the brutality here. Maggie Q plays Tess like a coiled spring, but with a hint of weariness. She really wants to relax and be human, but -- like Jamie Lee Curtis's older Laurie Strode in Halloween -- she can't let her guard down. The men here are all one-dimensional brutes, viewing women as inferior objects to terrorize or conquer. One of the most potent scenes is the movie's end coda, in which a male sheriff listens to -- and scornfully disbelieves -- Tess's story. What, the movie seems to be asking, has really changed? Fear the Night isn't subtle, but it packs a punch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Fear the Night's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How does the movie portray alcohol dependency? Drinking in general? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
What messages does the movie send about female empowerment? Does it seem to be a positive message? Negative? Mixed? How?
Do you consider Tess a role model? Why, or why not?
Did you notice any stereotypes in the movie? What about positive diverse representations?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 21, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: July 21, 2023
- Cast: Maggie Q , Kat Foster , Gia Crovatin
- Director: Neil LaBute
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Asian actors
- Studio: Quiver Distribution
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: August 31, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Best Horror Movies
Movies with Strong Female Characters
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate