History Film / Fear1996

* {{Yandere}}: David is ''seriously'' possessive of Nicole, to CrazyJealousGuy degrees.

* SurpriseCreepy: Margo, fresh from a night of debauchery at David's crack house, asks Toby "When are you gonna grow up so I can ravage you?" Nicole, who had just seen Margo willingly passed around like a party favor, is not amused.

* FauxAffablyEvil: David sure knows how to win people over. He doesn't even display any animosity towards Nicole [[spoiler:while he's trying to rape her or murder her family]]. But he's otherwise a pure scumbag.

* GoodParents: Steven is a devoted, reasonable, and loving father to Nicole. He's also willing to call her out on her nonsense and take steps to protect her if she gets out of line.

* PapaWolf: Steven will do anything to protect Nicole, despite her irrational complaints.

* FauxAffablyEvil: David sure knows how to win people over. He doesn't even display any animosity towards Nicole [[spoiler:while he's trying to rape her]]. But he's otherwise a pure scumbag.

* GoldDigger: Margo implies that her mother is this, commenting that she's seeing an unattractive man who promised to buy her a Ferrari.

* ThePreciousPreciousCar: Steven's cherry red Mustang gets absolutely trashed by David.

* WhenSheSmiles: Laura has some moments of this considering how serious or irritated she is at times, such as when she and Steven talk about going to their honeymoon hotel or she's having fun by the pool.

* AndYourLittleDogToo:[[spoiler:David decapitates the family's dog, which just adds more fuel to Nicole's rage.]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. Even though Nicole lusts for David, [[spoiler:it takes her a while to realize that he's a maniacal, aggressive sociopath who isn't even remotely fit to be beside her.]]

* CommonalityConnection: Exploited by David who uses some gardening skills to get Laura to open up to him.

* DecoyProtagonist: While the movie initially focuses on Nicole, [[spoiler:by the end of it the real battle is between David and Steven, with Nicole as the prize.]]
* DefrostingTheIceQueen: Laura starts out feuding with Nicole as much as the average WickedStepmother but warms up to her a lot after the first twenty or thirty minutes.

* EvilOrphan: [[spoiler:It's eventually explained that David was an orphan who went from home to home and shelter to shelter cause he was too crazy to take care of.]]
* FanService: Reese Witherspoon and Alyssa Milano wear revealing clothes for a good portion of the movie, Milano is seen in a thong at one point.
* FauxAffablyEvil: David sure knows how to win people over. He doesn't even display any animosity towards Nicole [[spoiler:while he's trying to rape her.]] But he's otherwise a pure scumbag.

* GenderFlip: One of the few ''FatalAttraction'' knock-offs where the psycho lover is male.

* GoodParents: Steven is a devoted, reasonable and loving father to Nicole. He's also willing to call her out on her nonsense and take steps to protect her if she gets out of line.
* HateSink: David [=McCall=] is an AxCrazy sociopath who believes himself deserving of total ownership of Nicole. He starts out engaging in relatively minor rebellious behaviors but escalates when he beats up Gary for hugging Nicole and hits her in the process. Once he wins her back over, [[spoiler:he proves himself to be just as detestable as ever, stealing Margo away from her boyfriend to rape her and threatening her when he suspects she told Nicole. Later, he murders Gary, and he and his gang break into Nicole's house with the intention of killing her entire family and Margo, then taking Nicole with him.]]

* ImpliedDeathThreat: David's speech to Gary comparing him to a wall (since Gary's standing between Nicole and himself)

-->'''Gary:''' Uh, no. Actually, Nicole told me that...

-->'''David:''' Weak walls. Actually, that's why they moved me around so much. I'd pound on the wall, it'd break. They'd move me to the next one and the next one... until finally they got sick of buildin' walls and showed me the door. Pretty useful upbringing it turned out, though, Gar. There's always walls. Usually the moist, fleshy kind that try to get in the way of me and it, whatever it may be. Silly, silly people, though. They're only to be knocked down. ''(knocks Gary to the ground, who runs away from him)'' Gary!

* MoralMyopia: Oh, sure David, you [[spoiler:rape your girlfriend's best friend thinking she won't find out, but when she rejects you, it's perfectly acceptable to kill her friend and try to murder her family.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Steven vandalizing Davids house in revenge for his attacks motivates David's housemates to help him attack the family.]]

* SlutShaming: Early in the film, Laura comments that Margo looks like a slut with all the makeup she's wearing for her date with David.

* [[spoiler:ActionDad]]: [[spoiler:Steven realizes what's going on and eventually has a showdown with David.]]
* [[spoiler:AndYourLittleDogToo]]:[[spoiler:David decapitates the family's dog, which just adds more fuel to Nicole's rage.]]

* [[spoiler:DecoyProtagonist]]: While the movie initially focuses on Nicole, [[spoiler:by the end of it the real battle is between David and Steven, with Nicole as the prize.]]

* [[spoiler:EvilOrphan]]: [[spoiler:It's eventually explained that David was an orphan who went from home to home and shelter to shelter cause he was too crazy to take care of.]]

* [[spoiler:IGaveMyWord]]: Earlier, David told Nicole that he'd kill any guy who'd dare touch her when he was explaining to her why he went crazy over her and Gary hugging. [[spoiler:He keeps his word and kills Logan when Logan tried to rape Nicole.]]

''Fear'' is a 1996 PsychologicalThriller film directed by James Foley, starring Creator/MarkWahlberg and Creator/ReeseWitherspoon.

* ActionDad: Steven realizes what's going on and eventually has a showdown with David.
* AndYourLittleDogToo: David decapitates the family's dog, which just adds more fuel to Nicole's rage.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. Even though Nicole lusts for David, it takes her a while to realize that he's a maniacal, aggressive sociopath who isn't even remotely fit to be beside her.

* BerserkButton: Margo goes into a frenzy seeing Logan trying to molest Nicole.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Nicole begins as one, blithely disobeying her father when it comes to David's behavior and insisting on instant gratification just because [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys he turns her on]]. Subverted, as she actually comes to her senses later.
* CarFu: The youngest member of the family runs over a member of David's gang.

* ChekhovsGift: The PeacePipe David wins for Nicole at a fair is used to stab him in the back.

* DecoyProtagonist: While the movie initially focuses on Nicole, by the end of it the real battle is between David and Steven, with Nicole as the prize.

* EvilOrphan: It's eventually explained that David was an orphan who went from home to home and shelter to shelter cause he was too crazy to take care of.

* HateSink: David [=McCall=] is an AxCrazy sociopath who believes himself deserving of total ownership of Nicole. He starts out engaging in relatively minor rebellious behaviors but escalates when he beats up Gary for hugging Nicole and hits her in the process. Once he wins her back over, he proves himself to be just as detestable as ever, stealing Margo away from her boyfriend to rape her and threatening her when he suspects she told Nicole. Later, he murders Gary, and he and his gang break into Nicole's house with the intention of killing her entire family and Margo, then taking Nicole with him.
* IGaveMyWord: Earlier, David told Nicole that he'd kill any guy who'd dare touch her when he was explaining to her why he went crazy over her and Gary hugging. He keeps his word and kills Logan when Logan tried to rape Nicole.

* InTheBack: David gets stabbed with a peace pipe in that area.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Steven vandalizing Davids house in revenge for his attacks motivates David's housemates to help him attack the family.

* ThisIsADrill: One of the thugs attacking the house gets drilled in the hand and immediately leaves for the hospital.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: David shoots his friend Logan in the head right before the final battle due to him trying to rape Nicole.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This alongside ''Film/CruelIntentions'' are possibly the darker films that ''Creator/ReeseWitherspoon'' was in.

* MidlifeCrisisCar: Steven's Red Corvette.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This alongside ''Film/CruelIntentions'' are possible the darker films that ''Creator/ReeseWitherspoon'' was in.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a1f373cc_73c9_4b0d_8b06_c5049b2e056d.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[TagLine Together forever. Or else.]]]]
''Fear'' is a 1996 psychological thriller film directed by James Foley, starring Creator/MarkWahlberg and Creator/ReeseWitherspoon.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: David's friends Nobby and Hacker take off after Hacker gets his hand hurt and they loose their nerve.

* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:At the end of the climactic home invasion, David is fatally thrown out of a window by Nicole's father Steven.]]

* GoodParent: Steven is a devoted, reasonable and loving father to Nicole. He's also willing to call her out on her nonsense and take steps to protect her if she gets out of line.

* PreMortemOneLiner: [[spoiler:After Nicole stabs David, Steven shouts at David, "Now, you get out of here!" before throwing him out the window and onto a rock outcropping below.]]

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. Even though Nicole lusts for David, it takes her a while to realize that he's a maniacal, aggressive sociopath who is extremely possessive at that.

* GoldDigger: Margo implies that her mother is this, commenting that she's seeing an unattractive man who promised to buy her a ferrari.

* NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalisation: David completely brushes off how much he hurt Margo when he sexually assaulted her at the party and claims to her face she wanted it to happen.

* MoralMyopia: Oh, sure David, you [[spoiler:rape your girlfriend's best friend thinking she won't find out, but when she rejects you, it's perfectly acceptable to kill her friend and try to murder her own family.]]

* PapaWolf: Steven goes into this mode towards the end.

* StalkerWithACrush: David.

* TheModestOrgasm: Nicole has one while getting fingered by David on a roller coaster.

* OutOfTheMouthsOfBabes: Nicole's stepbrother Toby has a line of this about his real dad.
--> '''Toby:''' He doesn't really watch the games. He's too busy trying to pick up chicks.

* DefrostingTheIceQueen: Laura starts out feuding with Nicole as much as the average WickedStepmother but warms up to her a lo after the first wwenty or thirty minutes.

* DrugsAreBad: David and his cronies do crack in several scenes and are fairly sisnsiter people.

* EvilDetectingDog: Averted Kaiser the family pet likes David and licks him form the first time they meet.

* GoodBadGirl: Margo, who seems to be an honest friend and confidant to Nicole despite her partying attitude.

--> '''Toby:''' He doesn't really watch the games. He's too busy triying to pick up chicks.

The film costars Creator/WilliamPetersen as Nicole's father Steven, Amy Brenneman as her stepmother Laura, and Creator/AlyssaMilano as her best friend Margo.