The Fear Of 13, film review: Suspense, drama, and macabre humour from death row inmate Nick Yarris
(15) David Sington, 95 mins
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Generally, books and movies about men on death row are told by outsiders – writers or film-makers (for example, Norman Mailer or Werner Herzog) who interpret the prisoners' lives for their own ends.
What is fascinating about Sington's invigorating documentary is that the inmate Nick Yarris recounts his story in his own words. He is formidably articulate, an autodidact who knows how to emphasise all the urgency, suspense, drama and macabre humour in the events that led him to be condemned to die. His account is complemented by reconstructions similar to those found in Errol Morris' The Thin Blue Line.
This is virtuoso film-making only partially let down by its artifice.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments