The Fear of 13

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.

I have no patience for documentaries that aim to tug a variety of heart-strings and make it obvious from the first few frames. Nick Yarris's story is different, perhaps mostly because it's treated objectively by the film's director. Instead of an hour and a half of old morality play, we simply sit and listen to a guy tell his incredible tale. At no point does Yarrow pretend to be anyone other than himself; at no point does he ask us to see him differently. He just tells us what happened to him, the good and the terrible, and does not ask us to judge, convict, or even forgive.

It is for that reason that I found his story so compelling and emotionally evocative. It is, perhaps, a reminder that we all have amazing, emotional stories to tell and that we should all try to sit back and listen more often.

As equally terrifying as it was captivating a horrific true story so eloquently told that I felt like I was living it through merely watching him say their retelling the events something rarely done to this effect. Definitely worth a watch even if slightly haunting.

I've watched many documentaries about crime and listened to people who have committed crimes.

I don't usually rate documentaries because they provide different information that is important across the board and I can't put a rating on that.

This is my first ever review and the reason why I chose to review this film is because it's one of the most captivating and detailed story I've ever listened to, about crimes someone have committed. Throughout the film, I kept asking myself, why is this (former) prisoner so good at storytelling and why was he in prison, it is almost like you almost can't believe that the story actually happened because of the way he was conveying it. The cinematics were just enough to compliment Nick Yarris' story which made it all together very engaging and beautiful. Even though he went back and forth in history while he told his story, it was still easy to understand because it all came together as he spoke.

A wonderful story that everyone should hear.

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.