The Fantasist (1986)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Robin Hardy

Writer:

Robin Hardy (writer)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

When an Irish woman moves from the suburbs to Dublin, she begins receiving phone calls from a stranger...

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Stabbing | Nudity | Female Nudity | Nude Woman Murdered

Cast

Moira Harris	...	Patricia Teeling
Christopher Cazenove	...	Inspector McMyler
Timothy Bottoms	...	Danny Sullivan
John Kavanagh	...	Robert Foxley
Mick Lally	...	Uncle Lar
Bairbre Ni Chaoimh	...	Monica Quigley
Jim Bartley	...	Hugh Teeling (as James Bartley)
Deirdre Donnelly	...	Fionnuala Sullivan
Liam O'Callaghan	...	Farrelly
Ronan Wilmot	...	Patricia's Father
May Giles	...	Patricia's Mother
Se Ledwidge	...	Patsy Teeling
Gabrielle Reidy	...	Kathy O'Malley
Agnes Bernelle	...	Mrs. O'Malley
Seamus Forde	...	Mr. Mullally

Runtime:

UK:98 min

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:M18

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Cyril Cusack was booked to appear but dropped out shortly before filming.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Patricia Teeling: Man overboard!

Has nothing on The Wicker Man! (or entertaining films in general)

I saw this movie for one reason and one reason only and, probably like everyone else who has seen it, that reason is because the film is directed by Robin Hardy; the man behind the all-time cult classic 'The Wicker Man'. I honestly have no idea how a man behind such a great film as The Wicker Man could end up directing something as crap as this. The Fantasist does not have a very good reputation, and that's hardly surprising as this film is completely boring. It was thirteen years between the release of this film and Robin Hardy's classic, but I actually believe that shooting for The Fantasist began in 1974, only production was slow as the cast and crew kept on falling asleep during shooting! The film takes place in Ireland and follows an Irish woman who moves to Dublin. It's not long before she begins receiving obscene phone calls from a stranger, and (coincidently?) there also happens to be a killer on the loose known as 'The Phone Call Killer'. Most people in that situation would change their phone number, but our heroine is drawn to the mystery caller instead...

The film starts off slowly but any hopes of it getting better are quickly dashed when it becomes quite clear that the pace is never going to pick up. This movie will grind you down; such is the sheer boredom on display. The film could be termed a slasher since people get sliced and diced, but it seems that Robin Hardy wanted it to be a bit more than just a slasher, and it's backfired horribly as there is no interest created around the central premise which absolutely kills it. Robin Hardy also had no luck in the casting department either as American actress Moira Harris fails to convince or generate any sympathy from the audience. The Wicker Man was a largely aesthetic affair with the picturesque island featuring strongly as well as the standout ending; but there's nothing like that here; all the locations are dreary and drab and that adds to the intense torture that is The Fantasist. Hardy probably wanted the movie to be a bit steamy and while there are brief flashes of nudity, the film certainly isn't sexy (though a sequence that sees the killer undress a girl with his knife is one of the few memorable moments). It all boils down to a stupid and predictable ending and overall, I would not recommend this rubbish even to hardcore fans of The Wicker Man.