The Face of Fear (film)

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The Face of Fear is a 1990 American thriller television film directed by Farhad Mann. It stars Pam Dawber and Lee Horsley and is based on Dean Koontz’s 1977 novel The Face of Fear, with Koontz co-writing the teleplay with Alan Jay Glueckman.

Plot
During a snowstorm, a killer traps a former mountain climber who has psychic powers and his fiancée in a New York skyscraper. To escape, they must rappel down the building’s exterior, turning the high-rise into a dangerous mountain. Dawber did many of her own stunts on ropes, and she chose the role because it offered something different from the “nice girl” or “mom” parts she usually played. Horsley, who isn’t afraid of heights in real life, used his own claustrophobia to help convey fear for his character.

Release
The film aired on CBS on September 30, 1990.

Reception
Reviews were mixed. The Wisconsin State Journal gave it two stars, noting the tension and the height-fear element. Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker gave it a C−, calling it bland and believable but limited by prime-time TV constraints. Empire rated it three stars, calling it a gripping but surprisingly good TV time-waster, with depth to some characters and strong supporting performances from Bob Balaban and William Sadler.