The Reel Review
John Travolta stars in this psychological thriller about an autistic, obsessed fan who stalks his favorite movie star, destroying his life. Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst co-wrote and directed the film, which he says was inspired by his own experiences.
Durst’s mean-spirited film is not so much a thriller as it is a pointless Durst vanity project featuring a string of gratuitously violent, logic-defying scenarios. The story is ridiculous, the production values are terrible, and Travolta’s cringe-worthy, over-acting – an autistic take on Kathy Bates’ character in Misery, complete with a bad wig and overdone body tics – is an insult, not only to those with autism, but also to the audience.
Stalking is a real issue for celebrities, but Durst’s pointless film is the cinematic equivalent of internet trolling – so off-putting in his disdain for both his characters and his audience, it begs the question: why on earth did Travolta agree to do such a disgustingly exploitive, icky film?
REEL FACTS
• With a first day gross of $3,000, The Fanatic is the worst box office opening of John Travolta’s career. His last hit was 2007’s Hairspray.
•.Travolta filmed The Fanatic in Birmingham, Alabama just after filming 2019’s Trading Paint there as well.
• In one scene Devon Sawa, who starred in the 2000 horror thriller, Final Destination, asks his son, “You like Limp Bizkit? I used to listen to this back in the day, this is hot.” ?♂️
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