The Fear of 13

There are no words to express how deeply moving this documentary film is. I don't think there is an another actor or the like who could have told this story the way Nick Yarris tells it. He truly has a gift in this documentary that lures you deeper and deeper into the story. His expression of how some little things in life can change you and make you a better person and even stronger is spectacular. I truly hope that this documentary and Nick himself receives the recognition it so well deserves. I'll be watching this in the Academy Awards for best documentary category. I am an avid fan of true murder mystery documentaries and have watched countless over the years and I highly doubt that any other documentary will touch me how this one did. Nick Yarris is an incredibly strong man who is the hero in his own life.

Nick Yarris was convicted of a horrible crime and sentenced to death – this is his story. It is basically Nick telling the story of his life to camera and mostly done in a chronological fashion. There is some re enactment of his past life as a child but that is a small part of the film.

For a film that basically just has one man talking to the camera for the majority of the time, this is incredibly powerful. It is an amazing, sad and moving story and I challenge anyone not to be moved by it. I watched it over a week ago and have only just decided to write a review to see if the film had lost any of its potency and nope it has not.

To say any more runs the risk of spoiling the story so I will demur, this is recommended to anyone who appreciates the uniqueness that real life can portray and who appreciate quality in their film making.

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.

Really awesome doc here, me and a friend watched this the other night and I was blown away. The narration and structure are phenomenal in this piece, a very close to heart tale and the context in which it all unravels is remarkable none the less. I'm so glad I watched this doc, which I wouldn't have expected could be so personally inspiring and motivating regarding how much knowledge is really garnered from reading. I mean, of course, I know reading is important and I do my share of knowledgeable reading each day. But, I'm simply referring to those that really read as a fun activity and not just because you have to read for the moment. I'd be lying to say I'm not guilty of that sometimes, but after viewing this doc, I'm extremely inspired to do way more. I understand my review is not as detailed, or as intricate, regarding the context of the overall film. However, I wanted to reflect and share on the personal inspiration I was able to take from it.

I just finished watching "Fear of 13" on Netflix and was blown away by this true life story.

After being mistreated as a boy, Nick Yarris' young naive life took a turn. He chose to act out by doing illegal acts which eventually led him to become more than a mere suspect, but a victim of backward and judgmental law enforcement during the days prior to DNA testing.

Ending up on death row, Nick, through dedication, becomes well educated, borne out of the kindness of one guard who tells him to do one thing. That one act led to intellectual growth, after which Nick begins to seek aid from numerous officials and one particular person/organization.

This is not the sort of story one wants to pause to fix a sandwich or rush to the bathroom, as it is all too engrossing. Throughout the film, Nick is well spoken, tells his life story with words and manners that reflect the person he alone grew to become, despite having been locked in a cell, in solitary confinement, for decades. Not letting all the terrible incidents that took place in confinement to turn him into an evil person, he, instead, became filled with purpose and vision.

This film is a must watch for all fans of liberation. Please, don't miss this one.