Fear of Rain (2021)

Directed by: Castille Landon | 109 minutes | drama, horror | Actors: Katherine Heigl, Harry Connick Jr., Madison Iseman, Israel Broussard, Eugenie Bondurant, Julia Vasi, Enuka Okuma, Hudson Rodgers, Lyla Restaino, Ashley Abrams, Jannette Sepwa, Bianca D’Ambrosio, Brian Yang, Lindsay Lamb

Although the title of this film suggests that you are going to watch a movie about a person with a phobia of rainwater, that (fortunately) turns out not to be the case. ‘Fear of Rain’ centers on title character Rain Burroughs (Madison Iseman), an anxious teenager who has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. This girl is the narrator of the story, but how reliable is she really?

Rain struggles with her life after the diagnosis. She’s having a hard time. Then she hears strange noises and sees bizarre apparitions at her neighbor. Rain asks classmate Caleb (Israel Broussard) for help, because she thinks her neighbor has kidnapped a child.

The mental problems that the title character struggles with are a grateful source of inspiration for director Castille Landon. Just how credible are Rain’s statements? What is dream and what is reality? This theme is not new, but Landon knows how to deal with it. ‘Fear of Rain’ never rises above the average, but is nevertheless quite nice. The acting is excellent and the editing is also very good. The film looks great and is quite exciting at times.

The tension is built up quite nicely and sometimes the atmosphere is quite creepy. Because Iseman’s game is so strong, you empathize with her and Rain’s experiences are close to your heart. Unfortunately, not everything is worked out well. For example, the playing time is unfortunately too long, because the film is unnecessarily stretched. ‘Fear of Rain’ could have been cut by half an hour. Now the film sometimes drags and that causes unnecessary moments of choking. Fans of psychological thrillers should give this film a chance. Don’t expect a masterpiece or a masterful horror film that will blow your mind. This is a likeable and well-made genre film.