The Fanatic (2019 film)
The Fanatic is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed and co-written by Fred Durst. It stars John Travolta as a man obsessed with meeting his favorite actor. The film was given a limited theatrical release on August 30, 2019, followed by a release on streaming platforms, and received mainly negative reviews.
Plot
Moose is an autistic man and works as a street performer on Hollywood Boulevard. Moose is also an avid movie fan, especially of the action film actor Hunter Dunbar. When Moose finally gets an opportunity to meet him and get an autograph, he is rejected when Dunbar's ex-wife comes to abruptly see him. Moose is friends with a young paparazzi photographer, Leah, who shows Moose an app that publishes home addresses of famous celebrities, including his hero. Moose goes to Dunbar's house and tries to give him a letter in search of an autograph. Dunbar confronts Moose and tells him to stay out of his neighborhood. Moose comes back again and climbs a fence, but is scared off by Dunbar's housekeeper. Moose keeps returning and eventually gains entry to the house after accidentally pushing the housekeeper into a stone fountain, killing her. Moose is again rejected by Dunbar, who calls Moose a stalker and threatens to shoot Moose if he sees him in the neighborhood again.Moose returns and ties up Dunbar while he sleeps. When Dunbar awakens he sees Moose lying on the floor, appearing to have killed himself, only for Moose to start laughing and get up. Next, Moose dresses up in a Jason Voorhees mask and pretends to stab Dunbar, but his blade is revealed to be a retractable prop knife, again fooling Dunbar. Dunbar pleads for Moose to untie him with promises of autographs and friendship, and he does. Dunbar attacks and nearly kills Moose, shooting off his fingers with a hidden rifle and stabbing him in the eye. Moose starts to cry and after a seeming change of heart, Dunbar spares Moose and lets him leave. Moose wanders the streets of Hollywood, sobbing and passing tourists who request to take photos with him, believing his wounds to be a part of a realistic costume, before Leah takes him to the hospital. As the movie ends, Dunbar is seen being arrested for the murder of his housekeeper and for the attack on Moose.
Cast
- John Travolta as Moose
- Devon Sawa as Hunter Dunbar
- Ana Golja as Leah
- Jacob Grodnik as Todd
- James Paxton as Slim
Production
Reception
Box office
The Fanatic earned $3,153 from 52 theaters in the U.S. on its opening day, making it a US box-office failure.Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 17%, based on 64 reviews, with an average score of 3.47/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "John Travolta gives it his oddly coiffed all, but The Fanatic rings hollow as an examination of the way fan appreciation can curdle into toxic obsession." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 18 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike".NPR published a negative review that called the film a noticeable downgrade from The Education of Charlie Banks and The Longshots, labeling the work a "miserable psychodrama". Specific elements attracting criticism included the "cliché-filled voiceover narration" and "a bunch of scenes where Travolta zealously overacts". The New York Times issued a negative review as well, the analysis of the movie arguing that it "delineates the border that separates the merely stale from the genuinely rancid."
In a positive review, Josh Millican of Dread Central called the film "a riveting indie with genuine suspense", and he praised both John Travolta's and Devon Sawa's performances.
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | March 16, 2020 | Worst Picture | Daniel Grodnik, Oscar Generale and Bill Kenwright | |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | March 16, 2020 | Worst Director | Fred Durst | |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | March 16, 2020 | Worst Actor | John Travolta |