THE FANATIC: Bonkers, But Still Mostly Entertaining

The basic premise of The Fanatic isn’t a new one by any means. We’ve seen some form of the obsessed fan before, think The Fan or Misery or even The King of Comedy. With fame comes attention, and sometimes, the unwanted kind. Even worse: the dangerous sort.

In The Fantatic, the new film by Fred Durst (Yes, the Limp Bizkit frontman) in his second directorial venture, we’re given a similar basis of a story, but with some quirky variations that simultaneously work and don’t at the same time. It’s campy, and a bit ill-spirited at times, but I still couldn’t turn it off. Whether that’s due to sheer curiosity, John Travolta‘s immersion or something else – I can’t be sure.

A Fan Gone Too Far

I think, to enjoy the movie, you have to let Durst take you through this bizarre telling with a grain of serious salt. There’s black humor worked in throughout, some over-acting, and some random stylistic choices (like a profound narration by one of the side characters) and somehow, this disarray of decisions still manages to make the movie diverting.

Moose (John Travolta), as we are first introduced by voiceover by Ana Golja, is a big movie fan. He spends his nights on the Hollywood streets, spends what little money he has on collectibles from his favorite star, and yearns to meet him: Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa) the A lister who he desperately seeks out. He seems completely innocent, and at first I think he is. Travolta plays him insecure, bumbling, and socially awkward. Moose says what he thinks, doesn’t feel personal boundaries exist, and has a naivety to him that’s child-like.

John Travolta has shown us he’s quite capable of an amazing performance, just like he’s shown us the opposite. This is somewhere in between. I can see the effort he puts into becoming Moose, and while I have some nit-picky issues with some of the choices, I think he embodies the intended role well. He’s committed, and Moose – the Hawaiian wearing, movie-scene impersonating fan – is definitely memorable.

After a failed attempt to see him at a party he sneaks into, he heads to a book signing for Hunter. He waits in line, clutching a vest Hunter had worn, anticipating his opportunity to meet his hero. As he gets to the table he is pulled away by a personal issue and Moose, not knowing etiquette, follows him out into the alley where he’s speaking with his ex-wife.

It’s clear that Hunter’s family life is difficult,  sharing custody with his ex-wife and struggling to keep a positive relationship going with her. In other words: he’s already on edge. So, when Moose comes strolling up, asking for an autograph, Hunter isn’t receptive, he’s aggressive, threatening for Moose to get away from him.

This begins Moose, who is quick to forgive, on a path of bad decisions, and continuous encounters with Hunter that don’t go well. When he gets the location of his house from Leah (Ana Golja) he heads there to clear the air and get his autograph. Things only escalate from there.

Some Things Work – Some are… Overworked

The Fanatic toes the line between thriller and mock thriller. Sawa’s Hunter isn’t what Moose is expecting, and his response – along with some bullying from fellow street performers – has his patience waning. With each new situation gone awry Moose is pushed, further misconstruing his perception of right/wrong and the film further juggles what we think of our two main characters. Is Moose a bad guy? Is Hunter?

In this way, the screenplay, also written by Fred Durst, has an interesting take. By the roll of the credits you’re uncertain what exactly just happened, and most importantly – how you feel about it. There’s a roar of violence in the finale, as things come to a head, but it doesn’t close quite how you’d expect.

In a lot of ways, the movie is messy, over the top, and at times its lunacy is laughable. However, those laughs often seem to be on par with the film, not necessarily at its detriment. I think (or I hope) Durst wants us to join him in his ride, knowing full and well that it is bumpy.

Devon Sawa, works the lines he’s got, which make him seem like a tough guy actor who can’t be bothered with his fans. Yes, he’s got every reason to be suspicious and furious about Moose’s approaches, but there’s an underlying anger (which Sawa captures) that makes his character unlikable. There is a lot more that could have been done with the character of Moose, but unfortunately the script barely scrapes the surface and makes Travolta’s efforts ultimately discomforting at times.

Conclusion: The Fanatic

Is this a foray into celebrity/fan relationships, shining a light on how your idols can be disappointing? Is this a thriller merely existing for an excuse to be strange and provoking? Or am I looking too far into a movie that’s been somewhat well-made, filled with actors giving their best efforts, that’s goal is merely to entertain?

Who can say? The Fanatic was interesting enough to warrant my attention, give me some creeps, and muster some laughs (there’s a great scene where Travolta is acting out movie horror scenes to a tied up Sawa). Is it amazing? No, but it’ll do for a night…mostly.

The Fanatic will be released in theaters in the US on August 30, 2019. It will also be available on digital and demand September 6th. For all international release dates, see here.

Check out our interview with star Devon Sawa here.