People are voting emotionally.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This is one of those movies with a mammoth "I did not see that coming" moment. The set up for this startling revelation is quite convincing, and Barry Newman's motivation for revenge is overwhelmingly strong. Unheralded character actor, Dolph Sweet, steals every scene he is part of. Ben Kingsley with hair takes some adjusting to, but his acting is solid. Unfortunately John Vernon was not convincing as the head bad guy, perhaps because I can't get by thinking of him as Dean Wormer in "Animal House". The movie itself is extremely uneven, with a grabber opening, followed by a prolonged car chase that seems like it was yanked right out of a "Smokey and the Bandit" movie. The actual plot is murky and difficult to follow, but is pulled together quite well in the showdown conclusion. Recommended for the unusual twisted plot and some solid performances. - MERK

Firstly I will say that this film definitely has an impact like the original 'Planet of Apes' with the late great Charlton Heston.However, with multiple viewing you will discover more and more about the lead character 'Talbot' - so believably played out by the under-rated talented actor Barry Newman, and the storyline will become even more engaging. I would simply recommend you either buy the DVD or await the Blue-Ray version when it comes out from the date I have posted this review.The supporting cast is very good, including Dolph Sweet, John Vernon, earliest appearance of Ben Kingsley (with some hair still) and the lovely Suzy Kendall.It is not until near the end of the film that you realise where the film is actually going with it's unique ending inside a mini-submarine (or Bath-Escape as it was called) called the Fathom. The car chase is well choreographed and in a Smokey and the Bandit style - even longer than the car chases in Bullitt and French Connection.Without going into too much detail, I have not read the book by the classic novelist Alistair MaClean, but if it is even better than the theatre adaptation of the story then maybe one day I will have to seek out the book, because this film, despite it's old age is a classic in my mind.Find it, and I guarantee you will like it a lot. It takes a bit of getting used to when seeing Barry Newman in a role like this, because he definitely has an 'un-likely' hero look about him. But the more you watch it, the more you will realise that he has the perfect face for the role.

I like Alistair MacLean's books, so I approached this film with a sense of dread. Could it be another MacLean book ruined on the big screen, like Bear Island, Caravan to Vaccares or River of Death? Fortunately, this is perhaps the best of all the MacLean's film adaptations. It begins with the most extraordinary car chase imaginable (far better than the much touted one in The French Connection) and never relaxes from that point on. To reveal much of the plot would be a spoiler, but suffice to say that the hero spends most of the film acting as the bad guy, trying to confuse some crooks that he's on their side so that he can get into their organisation and carry out his terrible revenge plan. Barry Newman is terrific as the hero, in a role similar to his Vanishing Point character. John Vernon is a mean villain, too, and Dolph Sweet has a short but pivotal role as a friendly insider. It's impossible to guess what will happen next, but the final scene brings everything together brilliantly, and leaves you quite literally gasping for air. See this soon!!

FEAR IS THE KEY is one real gem of a B-movie. The plot is packed with twists from beginning to end, and the characters are not always what they seem. Good performances from everyone involved, though no big stars. Clint Eastwood's best and favorite nemesis, John Vernon(JOSEY WALES; THE UNCANNY) appears here as the archvillain, supported by an early hairy Ben Kingsley. This film is no less than a little masterpiece, with a strong though unpredictable story, and an energetic soundtrack courtesy of GET CARTER's Roy Budd. In the vein of THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS and Mario Bava's CANI ARRABBIATI. It's a man's world.