A rabid film fan stalks his favorite action hero and destroys the star’s life.
Wow. Talk about an utterly insane cinematic experience. And I’m not talking Darren Aronofsky or Ari Aster’s calculated insanity in films like “Mother!” and “Midsommar.” Misguided, shrill, offensive and nihilistic, Fred Durst’s third feature, the horror flick “The Fanatic” also touches upon some intriguing subjects — the perils of fame, the co-dependence of celebrities and their fans — and it sports an utterly demented, transfixing central performance by John Travolta. As a film critic, I can’t recommend this schizoid feature by any means — but as a film fan, I defy you to miss it.
Redefining the term “color blocking” and sporting a terrible wig that reminded me of Die Antwoord’s Yo-Landi Visser, Travolta transcends “ham” as Moose, a rabid film fan quite possibly suffering from Down Syndrome (his condition is never really explained). Moose’s obsession with celluloid and autographs was spawned by — you guessed it — a traumatic childhood. He’s particularly fixated on horror star Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa), despite his friend’s — and the film’s narrator — Leah’s (Ana Golja) warnings.
After an unfortunate encounter at a bookstore signing, Moose gets a hold of Hunter’s home address using the Star Maps app. Their second meeting doesn’t fare much better. “I don’t know what you’re doing outside my house like some deaf-mute pervert unless you want trouble,” Hunter snarls at him, before piercing Moose with his own autograph pen. That doesn’t stop Moose from coming back, and even climbing over the fence and going inside the house… In fear of revealing too much, let’s just say there is a brutal murder, chopped up fingers and an eye-gouging.
Travolta appears in nearly every dark, neon-lit scene — which either takes place inside his ramshackle home, in Hunter’s affluent estate, or on Hollywood boulevard. Moose roams said boulevard, dressed as a British police officer, struggling to make a living, harassed by other street performers. He is in awe of the industry that will never in a million years welcome him. Watching the 65-year-old actor channel his inner geeky child through the prism of a celebrity-obsessed, insecure lunatic is something to behold.
See, it’s not exactly a great performance, nor is it a fluke. It’s more of a distillation of all of Travolta’s trademark tics and mannerisms into one overblown but strangely affecting piece — perhaps because there are echoes of reality to it, the actor desperately grasping onto a steadily-deteriorating career. Moose practices his shoddy British accent in front of the mirror, he whines and stalks and sobs, he breaks down in one of the most “can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him” cinematic moments of 2019. It’s wince-inducing and mesmerizing. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Moose, after not-so-accidentally killing someone, proceeds to get all gleeful inside Hunter’s house and… use his toothbrush. Yuck.
One of the (many) issues with “The Fanatic” is that Durst displays little empathy for his subject, using him as a gimmick to emphasize his points. And yes, while some of those points may be audacious, let’s face it — akin to his band, Limp Bizkit (which is wittily referenced in the film: “I used to listen to this back in the day, it’s hot”), the film is deeply steeped in the 1990s. It’s not just the presence of Travolta or Sawa (anyone remember “Idle Hands”? No?) — it’s the archaic aesthetic and plot, harking back to the days of Tony Scott’s “The Fan,” not to mention Rob Reiner’s “Misery” or, if you want a more recent example, Robert Siegel’s “Big Fan.” Durst treads through “been there, done that” territory, but amplifies every staple to the nth degree.
And man, does he burrow his way into your head, like it or not. The crazed animated interludes, Travolta bellowing, “I AM NOT A STALKER!,” that bonkers finale… By no means a comfortable watch, unintentionally (?) hilarious and morbid in equal measures, it feels like a cry for help from two fledging personalities — which is also why you should go watch it, now.
In Theaters Friday, August 30th
