Naked Fear (2007)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

My title for this review pretty much summarizes the plot of "Naked Fear" (hereafter NF). In case you are not familiar, "Naked and Afraid" is the Discovery Channel program that places men/women pairs in inhospitable environments without food, water, and clothes and observes their efforts to survive for 21 days. As for "The Most Dangerous Game", I think no explanation is necessary, since it has been such a constantly used premise. To be candid, I watched NF for free on Xfinity on Demand primarily because of its voyeuristic promise of extensive female nudity. I thought NF would be chintzy and stingy with the nudity, but it sure wasn't (including full-frontals). Despite its cinematic '70s atmosphere, TV-level production levels, and exploitative plot, NF also doesn't skimp on the tension, violence, and terror, which were unnervingly effective.NF's effectiveness comes mainly from Danielle De Luca's intense turn as Diana, a lovely, red- headed Texas woman who moves to a sleepy (make that comatose) New Mexico town to take an alluring job as a dancer. Gradually, she realizes that the dancing involves poles, G-strings, twerking and being in financial thrall to the scum who lured her there. Desperate to raise money to pay him off and to go back home, Diana most reluctantly agrees to "entertain" one of the habitual strip-club customers. Unfortunately, that turns out to be hunter Colin Mandel (J.D. Garfield).You see, Colin not only likes to hunt big game like elk and deer (whose stuffed heads get ample screen time). He likes to hunt humans. Naked female humans. He picks up prostitutes in town, takes them to his remote home, abuse and drug them, strip them, then dump them in the desolate New Mexico wilderness with a 15-minute head start to escape him. The beginning of the film shows one of Colin's victims failing "Naked Survival 101".Diana finds herself in the same predicament. Despite her fear, shame, and confusion, Diana proves to be quite a challenging, elusive quarry for the deranged Colin. Meanwhile, the new deputy in town, intrigued by the town's growing list of missing female persons (all strippers or prostitutes), tries to investigate Diana's appearance, but is thwarted by the apathetic town Sheriff (Joe Mantegna) who basically thinks it's a waste of police power looking for worthless hookers. Out here in the vast New Mexico territory, it's pretty easy for criminals like Colin to practice their twisted hobby and literally bury the bodies without anybody complaining. This seems to lower Diana's survival odds.Nevertheless, Diana has a stubborn will to survive, facing rapid rivers, a rattlesnake, rough terrain, scorching heat, and the dogged Colin. Can she make it out alive? Will she get her revenge? What effect does this ordeal have upon her?NF does a pretty good job in exploring one of the most terrifying situations a human could face (being defenseless in the wild) and showing Diana's realistic reaction to her situation. She is both fragile and tough, afraid and persistent, despairing and determined to beat the odds. She's a real trooper - both the character and the actress! The other characters in NF - including a camper and his two sons who offer temporary shelter to Diana- are basically forgettable window dressing. Your attention is focused upon Diana, and not only because she has a beautiful body.P.S.: Regarding Diana's fate, here's a small clue. In NF, Diana literally collides with a VW bus. One of the two panicked guys in the bus remarks, "She looks like Carrie after the prom."

A guy captures and hunts down prostitutes. How did this concept not get made in the 70s? Maybe because a very similar event actually happened in the 70s, but still surprising.Nevertheless, you're given this concept, and you naturally expect exploitation trash. It's actually way better than that, so maybe gets a higher score than it deserves just for so completely clearing the admittedly low hurdle of my expectations.--Minor spoilers-- There were some things that didn't make much sense. The woman is frightened and angry and confused, but still speaking English for the first day or two of her ordeal. Suddenly she's found by a hunting family, and she understandably freaks out, but then, even when it's clear they're trying to help her, she's unable to speak and tell them what's been going on. Really? Maybe this complete retreat into an animal nature would be easier to swallow if it was, like, months, up in the mountains, eating bugs and running from shadows.The killer seems like a pretty friendly guy, but everything that happens to him in this movie, he's got coming to him, and then some. Not very sporting of him to not leave the women shoes, at least. But I guess he really can't afford for any of them to get away.The ending was kind of amusing, and almost turned this whole thing into the 70s-style exploitation garbage I was expecting.

A psycho lets naked women loose in the wilderness so he can hunt them down like animals. This thriller, inspired by the actions of Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen, is nothing to write home about, but it's not as bad as one would expect. It draws elements from such films as "The Most Dangerous Game," "The Naked Prey," and "I Spit on Your Grave." The only familiar face here is Mantegna as the sheriff. De Luca, spending much of the film completely disrobed, is not bad in the lead role. There is a lot of nudity, but it's presented rather tastefully. The film doesn't know when to roll the final credits; there are too many climaxes.

Along with the mindset of the Dangerous Game it also reminded me of an old movie called Naked Prey. The naked runner scenes didn't hurt to keep attention-span while the plot developed, they were done well and didn't make it a back room movie. There are a few spots of twist and it wasn't totally predictable. Aside from just her looks, Danielle De Luca did a really good job and the landscape scenery was nice. Don't know why they put Joe Mantegna in a bit part though.The ending seemed a bit out of place but I guess they wanted to try to change her role as not defenseless.All in all, worth a watch.