13 Fear Is Real: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

See All

3.9

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3.9	Your Score
3.9	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Season Details & Credits

The CW | CW | Season Premiere Date: January 7, 2009

Starring: Laura, Kelly, Erica

Summary: Contestants try to conquer their fears in the bid to win $66,666 in this Sam Raimi-produced show.

Creator: Sam Raimi and Jay Bienstock and Robert Tapert

Genre(s): Reality, Horror, Game Show

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. Boom
Air Date: February 20, 2009
tbd
S1:E7. Alone
Air Date: February 13, 2009
tbd
S1:E6. A Deal With The Devil
Air Date: February 6, 2009

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Robert Bianco

As games go, this isn't a bad one. But unlike horror movies, the Fear doesn't feel real, and the show is nothing special. Read full review

Jessica Shaw

Watching them tied up for a find-your-partner challenge is more absurd than scary. Read full review

Cynthia Fuchs

The show is, in various ways, just such a trick, not quite convincing viewers that its shtick is authentic, but granting that those viewers get the joke (and will forgive, and even enjoy, the cheesy results). Read full review

Tom Shales

13: Fear Is Real is cruel in its premise, drably inevitable in its concept and supremely dull in execution. No one risks being scared to death, but being bored to death seems a credible threat. Read full review

Ginia Bellafante

13 Fear Is Real, a fizzled effort at scaremongering, reveals just how badly reality television can go astray when the casting fails to be creative. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Even nightvision lenses and up-the-nose video, however, can't create a real sense of jeopardy until the final challenge, when two finalists are "buried alive." At least that's semi-interesting, though until then 13 is pretty much a snooze--more scatter-brained than scary. Read full review

Ray Richmond

Fear Is Real is the dripping-with-irony title of a CW-staged unscripted venture that scarcely could be more fake, a collection of preposterous snapshots of 13 young people trying their best to scream rather than laugh. Read full review

SEE ALL 9 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

3.9

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

No reviews yet.

More From Metacritic

What to Watch Right Now on Peacock

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

What to Watch Right Now on HBO and HBO Max

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

What to Watch Right Now on Paramount+

Find a list of the best recent and upcoming film and TV titles added to...

What to Watch Right Now on Netflix

Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...

Current TV Shows

By MetascoreBy User Score

1 98 Bo Burnham: Inside

2 92 Romeo & Juliet

3 92 The Underground Railroad

4 91 It's a Sin

5 90 Last Chance U: Basketball: Season 1

6 89 Rick & Morty: Season 5

7 88 Hemingway

8 87 This Way Up: Season 2

9 87 I Think You Should Leave with...

10 87 Tuca & Bertie: Season 2

11 86 Ted Lasso: Season 2

12 85 The Black Church: This Is Our...

13 85 Too Close: Season 1

14 85 Feel Good (2020): Season 2

15 85 Back: Season 2

16 84 The Crime of the Century

17 84 Unforgotten: Season 4

18 84 Dave: Season 2

19 84 Evil: Season 2

20 83 Exterminate All the Brutes

SEE ALL

Seasons & Episodes

32

Series Overview
Season 1

32
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E8. Boom
  Air Date: February 20, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E7. Alone
  Air Date: February 13, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E6. A Deal With The Devil
  Air Date: February 6, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E5. A Lesson In Terror
  Air Date: January 30, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E4. Fort Fear
  Air Date: January 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E3. A Killer Amongst Us
  Air Date: January 21, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Accused
  Air Date: January 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E1. Meet the Mastermind
  Air Date: January 7, 2009