James Foley’s 1996 thriller, Fear, stands out for its gripping portrayal of obsession and its destructive consequences. The film, starring Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, and Alyssa Milano, skillfully blends suspense and drama, drawing viewers into a story that touches themes such as lust, revenge, and deceit.
The story follows the evolving relationship between Nicole and David, highlighting the dangerous consequences of unchecked obsession. At a club, Nicole meets David, and the two quickly form a bond that eventually develops into love. However, David’s growing obsession begins to reveal his darker side.
A shocking home invasion changes everything for Nicole and her family (Photo: Fear 1996/When love turns toxic, survival becomes the ultimate challenge)His actions spiral into manipulation, violence, and deceit, leading to a shocking conclusion that places Nicole, her family, and friends in grave danger. While the film straightforwardly presents the events, some questions, especially about David’s fate, remain unresolved. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Fear Plot Summary
The film introduces viewers to Nicole, a 16-year-old girl, marking the beginning of what seems like a typical coming-of-age story. Alongside Nicole are her best friends, Margo and Gary, who play crucial roles in the plot. It’s at a club where Nicole meets David, and the attraction between them is immediate. As their relationship deepens, they fall in love.
David, eager to progress in the relationship, quickly asks Nicole to introduce him to her family. He meets her father Steven, stepmother Laura, and younger brother Toby. Steven, however, grows suspicious of David, raising his concerns to Nicole, but she brushes them off.
As the plot advances, David’s true nature—violent, manipulative, and deceitful—comes to light, culminating in a violent and thrilling finale that places Nicole and her loved ones in danger.
Fear’s Final Scene: Did David Survive the Fall?
The film reaches its climax during a home-invasion sequence, where David and his associates attempt to break into Nicole’s family home. In a dramatic moment, David holds Steven hostage at gunpoint, justifying his actions to Nicole.
In a twist of fate, Laura manages to retrieve the keys to the handcuffs, freeing Steven. A physical struggle ensues, with the two men fighting fiercely. The confrontation ends with Steven overpowering David and throwing him out of a second-floor window.
The next scene shows David lying on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, seemingly implying that he did not survive the fall. However, the film never definitively confirms his death, as it ends shortly after with emergency vehicles arriving at the scene. Given the nature of the fall, it’s likely that David sustained severe injuries, but there’s still a possibility he could have survived.
If David did survive, his fate wouldn’t have been promising. A head injury like that would likely knock him unconscious for several hours, giving the police enough time to arrive before he could escape.
Since Toby had already called the police from a car phone, they would likely have arrived just after the altercation between Steven and David. It’s reasonable to assume that David would have been apprehended immediately upon their arrival.
Is David a Psychopath?
The term “psychopath” has been around for over a century, but it gained widespread usage in the 1950s, often used in connection with criminal activities and media portrayals. The popularity of this term has only grown, especially in movies and TV shows that focus on crime and mystery.
David’s actions in Fear mirror many characteristics commonly associated with psychopaths, including manipulation, obsession, and violence. However, the film’s description of David as a “violent sociopath” offers a different perspective.
There’s a clear distinction between sociopathy and psychopathy. Sociopaths are impulsive, easily angered, and prone to emotional outbursts, while psychopaths are colder, more calculating, and lack genuine emotional connections. David exhibits qualities of both. He treats Nicole as his possession, willing to do anything to keep her, including harming her loved ones.
Psychopaths can often blend into society, leading seemingly normal lives while hiding their criminal activities. This is seen when Steven investigates David’s background, suspecting that he may be involved in a drug cartel.
Although Steven’s suspicions aren’t fully confirmed, it hints at David’s possible connections to illicit activities. On the other hand, sociopaths are more likely to justify their actions, as seen when David attempts to explain his behavior to Nicole and her father, despite his violent tendencies.
While David’s actions in the film are exaggerated for dramatic effect, his personality traits align with those of real-life psychopaths and sociopaths. David embodies a mix of both, making him a dangerously unpredictable character.
Why Did David Kill Gary?
Gary, a minor yet important character in the film, is one of Nicole’s closest friends. He shares a close relationship with her and Margo, often appearing alongside them. Though Gary doesn’t have a central role in the story, his connection to Nicole makes him a target for David, whose obsession with her grows as the film progresses.
David sees Gary as a threat, believing that any interaction between him and Nicole could jeopardize his claim on her. When he sees Gary and Nicole hugging outside of school, his possessiveness erupts.
When love turns toxic, survival becomes the ultimate challenge (Photo: Fear 1996/When love turns toxic, survival becomes the ultimate challenge)David attacks Gary, knocking him to the ground and accidentally injuring Nicole in the process. Despite Nicole’s distress, David justifies his actions, showing early signs of his toxic behavior.
Though David’s actions are entirely unjustifiable, the film suggests that he truly believed Gary posed a threat. He views Gary’s closeness with Nicole as something that makes her uncomfortable, and in his warped mind, intervening was the only solution.
At this point, David still doesn’t fully understand that Gary is simply Nicole’s best friend. In his eyes, anyone who comes close to her is an enemy to be eliminated.
David’s obsession deepens as the film continues. After Nicole discovers that David has been involved with Margo, she decides to cut ties with him. But David, unable to accept rejection, confronts her at school.
When Gary intervenes to protect Nicole, David is furious and makes plans to harm him further. Eventually, David tracks Gary to a secluded area, where he attacks him, finally killing him in a brutal act of violence.
From the moment David saw Gary, he perceived him as an obstacle to his obsession with Nicole. David’s need to control every aspect of her life drove him to eliminate any perceived threats, even if it meant killing those closest to her. His actions reflect the full extent of his psychotic tendencies, making it clear that no one—friend or family—was safe from his wrath.
