'Fear,' the series that will make you doubt your neighbors

BarcelonaThe most disturbing stories are those that most closely resemble reality, and that's what it aims to show. At the beginning of this story, everything seems normal: Martyn and Rebecca's family begin a new life far from London, in a splendid house in Glasgow. But after meeting Jan, the neighbor who lives in the basement, what seemed like a new beginning will be tinged with darkness. On October 14th, a new thriller A psychological thriller based on true events and directed by Justin Chudwick, the plot shows how a seemingly harmless, even friendly, person ends up becoming obsessed with this newly arrived family.

The series is based on the story of the German journalist, screenwriter and writer Dirk Kurbjuweit, who became deputy director of the renowned newspaper Der Spiegel. It was a completely normal family who moved to the suburbs of Berlin in the early 2000s, unaware that shortly after, everything that seemed to be going well would take a 180-degree turn. A few years after overcoming this event, which lasted eight months, the journalist wanted to write a novel about his family's story. The book, named after the production itself, became a bestseller in Germany. The actors who will bring this story to life are Martin Compston (Martyn), known for Line of Duty, Anjli Mohindra (Rebecca) and Solly McLeod (Jan), the bullying neighbor.

False accusations from a stalker

Attempting to break into the apartment, placing a ladder under the bedroom window to watch the woman at night, or writing love poems telling her he fantasized about killing her were just some of the horrific acts the journalist's family had to endure. The neighbor defended himself by saying he did this to protect his children from their parents' harassment, information that was false and which he even spread to the rest of the neighborhood and the police. The actor who plays Martyn claims that this is probably one of the most serious and repugnant accusations that can be made against a parent. He also explains that the feeling of vulnerability, not only in such a situation, but also before the law, is enormous, even when there is no evidence. Compston, who has a son, says this has helped him empathize with the character and truly put himself in his shoes. He says there are cases in which taking the law into his own hands doesn't seem so far-fetched.

The British miniseries, which only consists of three episodes, seeks to reflect the isolation felt by the family involved in the case. They repeatedly sought help from the authorities, but the legal loophole meant no one could help them, as neither the police nor lawyers could do anything: stalking wasn't legalized at the time, leaving victims defenseless in the face of danger. The desperation was such that the lawyer recommended the father buy a gun. Fortunately, he trusted the justice system, and the neighbor was eventually transferred to a center where other people were struggling to integrate into society. Shortly after, he died of a heart attack.

Justin Chudwick, known for directing The Boleyn Sisters, Tulip Fever, and Mandela: From Myth to Man, and screenwriter Mick Ford have been responsible for turning this novel written by Dirk himself in 2013—the protagonist of the true story—into a suspenseful production, where viewers will see how the family, newly arrived in the Scottish city, begins to feel increasingly distressed.

The disruptive power of bullying is a recurring theme in television fiction. In the spring of last year, it premiered on Netflix Baby Reindeer, where a woman pursued a failed comedian who played a waiter. The production, based on true events, was a hit in many countries and was one of the most-watched shows on the platform all year. In 2018, another successful production premiered, You, also on Netflix, where the plot focused on Joe Goldberg, a man who meets his victims by chance and quickly becomes obsessed with them.