The Fear of 13

2015

Action / Biography / Crime / Documentary / Mystery

2
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 86% · 16 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 86% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.6/10 10 7762 7.8K

prison prisoner death row biography reenactment legal system

Plot summary

After 23 years on Death Row a convicted murderer petitions the court asking to be executed, but as his story unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems.

Director

David Sington Photo
David Sington

Top cast

Sammy Silverwatch Photo
Sammy Silverwatch as Young Nick Yarris
Herbert A. Fuchs Photo
Herbert A. Fuchs as Restaurant diner
Nick Yarris Photo
Nick Yarris as Self
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
875.38 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   pl   nl   es   fr   pt   no   sv   it   de   dk   fi   tr  
24 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds ...
1.76 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us   pl   nl   es   fr   pt   no   sv   it   de   dk   fi   tr  
24 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ben_andreas91 8 / 10

Captivating storytelling from a Death Row inmate

The story of Nick Yarris was completely alien to me before I saw this documentary. The first impression I got when introduced to him was that of great sadness and loss. His face and body looked tired, drained from whatever he had experienced - at the end I understood why. The Fear of 13 does not necessarily tackle new issues; nor does it highlight anything one hasn't seen before. The struggles of convicts, their fight for survival inside a maximum security prison is no new genre. However, this story sucks you in from the beginning and keeps you listening all the way to the end. Stripping the documentary down to the bare essentials keeps it intriguing. Atmospheric music complements Yarris' somber voice with recreated scenes as he opens up about his past. And although the narrative of death row inmates have been shared before, there is an eloquence about Yarris that makes his story unique. There are times when I doubted the authenticity of certain professed anecdotes, but it was hard to disagree with the vigor in which he spoke about them.
Reviewed by Leofwine_draca 7 / 10

You wouldn't think it...

On the face of it, a documentary that spends a full hour and a half sitting with one guy as he talks to the camera doesn't sound all that interesting. Yet THE FEAR OF 13 turns out to be stark, compelling and ultimately moving viewing, because the interview subject has one hell of a story to tell.In essence, this is a story of Death Row and the life and death struggle that takes place within. Nick Yarris was sent down in the 1980s, but his life story incorporates much more than a simple tale of life behind bars. There's action in the form of thrilling police chases, a murder mystery, courtroom drama, a blistering critique of the American justice system, and finally catharsis of sorts.Director David Sington commendably avoids tricks for the most part, content for Yarris to tell his own story in his own words - after all, it needs no embellishment. There are a couple of flashbacks and some evocative music and sound to fit the theme, and it all works. THE FEAR OF 13 is a fine piece of film-making and one that deserves to be seen by all.
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