Conspiracy Of Fear

Conspiracy of Fear is the second feature-length film from actor-writer-director Kayla Tabish. She stars as Alice, a hard-hitting reporter given the exclusive interview with Evo (Malcolm McDowell), the CEO of The Company. After WWIII, all the companies and conglomerates merged into one international force. The war saw the release of a massive electromagnetic pulse, rendering all digital devices completely useless. The Company has not seen fit to bring such things back. On the plus side, these corporations, now housed under one roof, used their combined might to fight off and suppress a disease that turns humans into monsters. The interview is set to be about the new pill created to fight off the disease.

Meanwhile, Vega (Steven Bauer) hires Avery (Nick Liam) to find Olivia (Kiki McCleary). The private investigator’s search sees him cross paths with Alice. This is because the reporter has uncovered information about the realities of the pill and how it ties into the missing teen. Together, Avery and Alice must follow the clues and suss out the truth. But their journey is fraught with danger, putting their lives in mortal peril.

Conspiracy of Fear is not exactly subtle or nuanced; there are no gray areas here. But the storyline is intriguing, especially as the pieces all fall into place. Avery’s quest to find the missing girl and Alice’s search for the truth both create equal investment from the audience. This is in part due to the strong characterizations of Alice and Avery. The side characters have less complexity to them, but are still well-written enough to be interesting. The world-building begins at an odd moment — after a little prologue with Avery and his newsie boy helper. The voiceover explaining this new world seems to come out of nowhere at first. But it ultimately makes more sense than the prologue. Cutting that and just starting with the info dump about WWIII would help immerse the audience even sooner. Outside of that, the world is fascinating, with small touches fleshing out this all-analog existence nicely.

“Together, Avery and Alice must follow the clues and suss out the truth.”

The director maintains a sense of urgency throughout the entire 87-minute runtime. She directs with confidence, crafting tension and suspension out of something as simple as a conversation over dinner. The pacing, minus the prologue, is very good, with no scene lasting too long or feeling out of place.

Tabish is excellent as the ostensible lead. She’s fierce and competitive while keeping a poker face that hides her true intentions. Liam takes the stock noir detective trope and imbues it with a heart. While determined to do his job, the actor makes the character more than just a man out for himself. McCleary is convincingly scared but determined to let the truth be known. McDowell is fantastic as the one-note villain. While lacking depth, McDowell is as commanding as ever, bringing a much-needed weight to the proceedings.

Whether or not one agrees with the filmmaker’s strong perspective doesn’t matter, as Conspiracy of Fear works as an engaging thriller despite one’s personal beliefs. The directing is thrilling, and the script is brilliant, while the plot unfolds in a unique world. The cast excels in their respective parts, no matter how much depth their character is given.