The Fanatic

The angry Moose tricks Leah into downloading an app for him with all the Hollywood celebrities’ addresses. She should have known Moose would find Dunbar’s home and confront him directly. Before you know it, the situation gets way out of hand. Eventually, Moose begin doing some very stalkery things reminiscent of Steven King’s Misery.

The first thing you’re going to notice about The Fanatic is Travolta’s performance. To say that he loses himself in the lovable, yet challenged Moose, would be a vast overstatement. No, in your head, you’re just going to be thinking, “this can’t be John Travolta. But oh my god, it is.” He makes some incredibly bold choices in the character of Moose, and he carries it from start to finish while never breaking. Whether you’re astonished or offended, Travolta gives a marvelous and unforgettable performance.

“He makes some incredibly bold choices in the character of Moose…”

About the rest of the film, I have to ask the question, “what would The Fanatic be without John Travolta in the lead role?” I’m confident the story from Fred Durst and Dave Bekerman would have been greenlit, and it would have been a different movie. The story is a strong one about fan obsession. It’s loaded with good characters, and it would have eventually found its home amongst all the low-budget indie film we love at Film Threat.

I would assume Travolta’s presence means a bigger budget and director Durst makes the most of with upgraded production values. The cinematography is stellar. The locations are on-point. There’s some pretty cool footage of Travolta working the crowd that I’m sure was unpermitted, and a surprise to the real-life tourist unknowingly cast as extras. The cast supporting Travolta is elevated, while at the same time provides substantial support for his portrayal of Moose.

Quite frankly though, The Fanatic is going to get a big publicity boost, just from its leading star alone. With Travolta, The Fanatic scores a 7 out of 10. Without him, more like a 6.