The Fear of 13
| The Fear of 13 | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | David Sington |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Nick Yarris |
| Cinematography | Clive North |
| Edited by | Robert Sternberg |
| Music by | Philip Sheppard |
| Distributed by | Dogwoof |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Fear of 13 is a 2015 British documentary film. It tells the story of Nick Yarris, who was convicted of murder and spent 21 years on Death Row in Pennsylvania but was released in 2004 when DNA evidence proved he was innocent of the crime.
Synopsis
Yarris tells his own story, in the style of a one man show. In a non-linear structure, his early life, youthful transgressions, arrest, and time on death row is revealed, with several twists and turns. No-one else appears on screen, but supplementary footage and sound effects are included as Yarris describes events.
The title refers to triskaidekaphobia, which is one of many words that Yarris learned while educating himself in prison.
Reception
The Fear of 13 premiered at the 2015 London Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Film.[1] It had a positive reception; on the review-aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 92% approval rating, based on 12 critics, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[2]
In Time Out it received four stars out of five, with the summary "This death row documentary sets up an intriguing mystery that'll keep you gripped until the final moments".[3] The Times also gave it four stars, and praised Yarris's storytelling skills: "The Fear of 13 is riveting and that’s mainly due to its extraordinary subject".[4] Mark Kermode awarded the film three stars, and summarised its themes by writing "Yarris leads us on a labyrinthine journey that has as much to say about the art of storytelling as it does about the iniquities of crime and punishment."[5]
References
- ^ "59th BFI London Film Festival announces 2015 juries for First Feature Competition, Documentary Competition and Short Film Award". British Film Institute. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "The Fear of 13". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "The Fear of 13". Time Out.
- ^ "The Fear of 13". The Times.
- ^ Kermode, Mark. "The Fear of 13 review – gripping first-person account from death row". The Guardian.