A Problem with Fear

A Problem with Fear

Year: 2003

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Gary Burns

ComedyDrama

A young man in Calgary, Alberta is multiphobic: nonetheless, he believes that he is the cause of the fear which is killing people around him.

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Timeline & Setting – A Problem with Fear (2003)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Problem with Fear (2003). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 21st century

The story unfolds in a contemporary urban landscape where smartphones, safety devices, and brand-driven anxiety shape daily routines. It presents a present-day sense of normalcy punctured by the unsettling promise of prediction technologies. The tone blends satire with melancholy as fear becomes a feature of ordinary life.

Location

Calgary Mall, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Laurie's daily life centers on a Calgary mall that doubles as a stage for fear. The space is bright and consumer-driven, yet ominous as everyday objects become potential threats. The surrounding city mirrors this anxiety, creating a setting where commerce and danger mingle in a satirical, unsettling rhythm.

🗺️ City setting 🛍️ Mall atmosphere 🌆 Modern paranoia

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:26

Main Characters – A Problem with Fear (2003)

Meet the key characters of A Problem with Fear (2003), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Laurie Harding (Paulo Costanzo)

Laurie is a small-town shop clerk in a Calgary mall whose life is filtered through an ever-present sense of danger. His growing ability to anticipate threats shapes every routine, turning crosswalks, elevators, and escalators into potential catastrophes. This hyper-awareness isolates him while driving a longing for order and certainty through safety technologies.

🧠 Fear 🛡️ Safety 🗺️ Urban anxiety

Michelle Harding (Camille Sullivan)

Michelle is Laurie's sister and a product developer at Global Safety Inc., pushing advances like the Early Warning system and Safe Bracelet. She embodies a pragmatic, forward-looking mindset that seeks to engineer safety into everyday life, sometimes clashing with Laurie's more anxious worldview. Her drive highlights the tension between protection and intrusion in a fear-soaked city.

🧭 Pragmatism 🛠️ Innovation 🏙️ Corporate life

Dot (Emily Hampshire)

Dot is Laurie's girlfriend, whose project on how clothes define you grounds the story in personal relationships amidst societal pressures. She serves as a counterpoint to Laurie's fear, seeking normalcy and connection while navigating the satirical world of consumer culture. Her presence emphasizes the human need for meaning beyond gadgets and guarantees.

💞 Relationships 🧩 Normalcy 🎭 Satire

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:26

Major Themes – A Problem with Fear (2003)

Explore the central themes of A Problem with Fear (2003), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Fear & Safety

The film centers on how fear channels daily decisions and how safety tech promises certainty while potentially narrowing human experience. Laurie’s premonitions blur the line between intuition and paranoia, turning precaution into a lifestyle. The narrative investigates whether safety can truly calm fear or simply redirect it into control.

🔒 Technology & Control

Safety devices like the Early Warning 2 Safe System and the Safe Bracelet symbolize a world where data and alerts promise protection. The tech is both a lifeline and a constraint, implying that governance of danger can override personal autonomy. The film satirizes how convenience gadgets become instruments of social control.

🛍️ Consumerism

The mall and its culture function as a satire of brand worship and mass-market reassurance. Advertising, jingles, and trends become emotional ballast for characters trying to define themselves. The narrative suggests that consumer culture can hollow out meaning even as it touts safety and stability.

🤝 Relationships

Dot's relationship with Laurie anchors the story in human connection amid algorithmic forecasting. Michelle's professional ambition adds another dimension, showing how family and work pull against fear-driven living. Together, these relationships explore whether intimacy can endure in a world dominated by prediction and precaution.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:26

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A Problem with Fear Summary

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A Problem with Fear Summary

A Problem with Fear Timeline

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A Problem with Fear Timeline

A Problem with Fear Spoiler-Free Summary

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A Problem with Fear Spoiler-Free Summary

More About A Problem with Fear

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