PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Philophobia: or the Fear of Falling in Love (2019) is like a talky ’90s relationship film mixed with supernatural haunting.
Or, it’s all about a psychotic break borne of anxiety, booze, and stress. Take your pick.
Damien Booster (Aaron Burt: Money? 2018) – and I’m sure his last name means SOMETHING – is a modestly successful podcaster who’s shied away from relationship commitments since high school. The sailing’s smooth until his girlfriend, Danielle (Emily Pearse: Listen 2013), asks for a step up in the relationship in the form of brunch with her and her mother. Things devolve rapidly from there, and in a flash of emotion, Danielle’s out the door, seemingly forever.
That’s when things get weird. Immediately.
Director Tyler Cole (The Uber of Killing 2016) has crafted an intensively earnest feature film, the product of long hours and maxed-out credit cards. It has the feel of autobiography, and was, in fact, written by Burt.
And for the most part, it works.
Damien goes into a kind of fugue-state of regret, peopled with Hollywood weirdos, heavy drinking, dumbass neighbors, and oh, yes, what appears to be ghostly manifestations of commitment anxiety. We get a lot of Carnival of Souls (1962) imagery, and at least one character, I’m positive, is a reference to The Shining (1980). All of this is wrapped around bro ruminations that would seem at home in Swingers (1996).
I’m a huge supporter of deeply personal stories, and I’ve never seen a combination of genres like this before. It could be a first. However, some of the jokes fall flat, some of the narrative lines vanish, and some of the side characters annoy me. But maybe that’s L.A. for you, something alien to my uptight East Coast self.
Relationship devotion is the movie’s storyline: The characters either have it, or they don’t have it but at least talk about it. For some in Philophobia: or the Fear of Falling in Love, finding The One and settling down is the highest ambition. But is this for everyone? Is the concept even real?
The answer to THAT is similar to whether or not Damien is hallucinating: It’s whatever the hell you want it to be.
Philophobia was recently acquired by Gravitas Ventures, and is set for Blu-ray and VOD release on November 12th.
