A doctor works through five patients’ worst nightmares in a series of gruesome tests and procedures. Held in his laboratory slash prison, the captives face their most deep-seated phobias again and again. Plus electroshock therapy, for good measure. And that’s just the framing device.
This horror picture tells each of their stories, a different writer/director per phobia (including the debut of Push and When a Stranger Calls star Camilla Belle!). It has an admirable handle on tone and atmosphere, flowing through and between each of the segments. Nor does it take the easy route with its phobias, tackling a lively selection of fears in fresh and largely unexpected ways. If nothing else, it sports Macy Gray as you’ve never seen her before. Where most anthology horror films are something of a mixed bag, Phobias is a largely successful experiment. It gets under the skin early, with a creepy opening credits sequence and incredible sound design by Jacques Brautbar.
Its line-up of directors (Camilla Belle, Maritte Lee Go, Joe Sill, Jess Varley, Chris von Hoffmann) may not be household names, but this is one of the most consistent anthology horror films out there. Consistently unnerving; consistently weird; consistently horrifying. Some stories hit harder than others, but there’s not a dud amongst the bunch. Those hesitant to get in on yet another mixed-bag horror anthology have nothing to be scared of – Phobias is the real deal.
Release Date: Out Now (US), UK (TBC)
