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[Review] ‘Be Afraid’ is a Competent But Deeply Flawed Thriller

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Sleep paralysis and the appearance of shadow people are some of the most notoriously terrifying phenomenon known to man. Whether or not you believe the paranormal is involved with these occurrences doesn’t necessarily make them any less frightening, which makes them perfect horror movie material. Even so, there are remarkably few films on the subject, though Drew Gabreski is attempting to change that with his supernatural thriller Be Afraid.

Starring Brian Krause as Doctor John Chambers, Be Afraid chronicles the struggles of a divided family attempting to settle into their new home in a small Pennsylvania town. Unfortunately, Dr. Chambers is routinely stalked by otherworldly forces during the night, as he deals with the horrific effects of sleep paralysis. As these unexplainable episodes become more frequent, he’ll soon discover that the town’s dark history is somehow involved and that these wicked forces are after something – or someone – from his family.

Sadly, the story does feel more like a routine thriller instead of a horrifying exploration of these alleged real life incidents. That doesn’t necessarily make this a bad movie, but it is slightly dismaying to see the film focus on story elements that we’ve seen so many times before in haunted-house/ghost movies, instead of the much more interesting source material that the script is supposedly based on. That being said, mulling over what a film might have been doing really reflect on its present quality.

Nevertheless, Be Afraid is still a mostly compelling story about loss and family, and it owes a lot of its effectiveness to its competent cast. From Krause’s portrayal of a well-intentioned father to Jared Abrahamson’s role as a wayward son, these characters all feel extremely believable. Decent protagonists are often neglected in horror films, so at the very least we’re presented with relatable people to root for when things go sideways. This obviously masks many of the film’s flaws, though it doesn’t actually fix any of the script’s problems.

This leads us to one of Be Afraid’s most disappointing features: the lack of quality scares. Gabreski’s direction does a lot to keep the film visually interesting, but he struggles to maintain tension during some of the feature’s most pivotal scenes. He’s not entirely to blame, however, as the “creature” design is also quite lacking. Some more consistent scares could have compensated for the film’s issues in other departments, which make this doubly disappointing.

Despite these flaws, Be Afraid does manage to shine every now and again. Some of the more intimate family scenes are genuinely touching, and some of the paralysis sequences are at least somewhat frightening. It’s still unfortunate that the film doesn’t really do much with its creative premise, but I imagine we’ll be seeing more movies touch on this subject matter in the near future. As it stands, Be Afraid is a competent thriller with some entertaining moments, but it lacks some much-needed depth.

Be Afraid will be available on most VOD platforms on June 1st!

Born Brazilian, raised Canadian, Luiz is a writer and Film student that spends most of his time watching movies and subsequently complaining about them.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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