Fear is a 1996 American suspense/thriller directed by James Foley (who co-scripted without credit) and written by Christopher Crowe. The film was originally titled No Fear, without bearing any connection to the same-named line of sporting apparel. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Alyssa Milano and Amy Brenneman. Described by producer Brian Grazeras "Fatal Attraction for teens"—a variation in which Wahlberg has the Glenn Close role, Witherspoon is in Michael Douglas's, and Petersen is in Anne Archer's—the film is an "intimacy thriller", a movie subgenre which became highly successful in the 1990s. It revolves around an upper/middle class Seattle family whose seemingly perfect, yet humdrum, existence is threatened when their teenage daughter/sister (Witherspoon) begins dating an attractive and mysterious young man (Wahlberg)—much to her father (Petersen)'s chagrin.
Although Fear was largely derided by critics upon its theatrical release, it became a marginal sleeper hit in the spring of 1996, grossing $20 million at the US box office. It has since developed a reputation as a cult film, while at the same time launching teen idol status for its two young leads—who were romantically linked at the time of the film's premiere. Wahlberg was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.