Following up on his highly acclaimed and influential horror film Carrie (1976), which revolved around a reserved young girl with remarkable psychic powers, Brian De Palma deepens his exploration of the supernatural in The Fury, a fast-paced, stylish thriller brimming with suspense, secret government conspiracies, and paranormal forces.
Based on John Farris’ 1976 novel, The Fury stars Kirk Douglas as Peter Sandza, a government agent whose son Robin (Andrew Stevens) has extraordinary psychic powers. Robin becomes the target of a nefarious kidnapping plot devised by Peter’s untrustworthy colleague, Ben Childress (John Cassavetes), who intends to exploit children’s psychic powers for government purposes, using them against the Russians by brainwashing and controlling them and eliminating their families. As Robin’s powers advance to unimaginable heights, he becomes increasingly unhinged from the psychological pressures of his captors’ manipulation. On the other hand, Peter, desperate to rescue his son, enlists the help of his girlfriend Hester (Carrie Snodgress) and discovers that the only way to locate Robin is through Gillian Beaver (Amy Irving), another young psychic who may hold the key to locating Robin. Together, they must stop Robin before his unstable powers cause irreversible damage.
As one of the most technically skilled directors of all time, Brian De Palma effortlessly elevates the straightforward story of The Fury with his mastery of cinematic techniques. The film opens as an espionage thriller with a gripping opening sequence that swiftly establishes the strong father-son connection between Peter and Robin. As Peter talks about quitting his job in the Middle East (Israel) and returning to the States, an unexpected beachside ambush occurs, where he narrowly escapes and uncovers that Childress masterminded the attack, intending to kidnap Robin. This is followed by another complex and meticulously crafted chase sequence, where Peter is pursued by Childress and his team through the streets of Chicago eleven months after the initial attack. The film then shifts gears as bizarre elements start creeping in, mixing Cold War intrigue, psychic phenomena, and mind manipulation, evolving from a spy thriller into a tense, paranormal suspense story. The transition is quick and seamless, never losing the audience’s attention and flawlessly integrating suspense with chilling supernatural elements, something that a film as recent as Longlegs (2024) failed to do.
There are moments, particularly in the film’s second act, where the narrative could have dragged—especially in Gillian’s storyline, which requires the development of her psychic abilities and adjusting to life at the Paragon Institute (a live-in research facility that studies teenage psychic abilities) before she forms a psychic connection with Robin. However, tight storytelling and skillful editing keep the momentum flowing. For instance, during an intense chase sequence where Peter evades Childress and his men, the film cleverly intercuts with scenes of Gillian discovering her powers in a high school classroom and realizing their intensity when she causes a bully to bleed. Additionally, De Palma, working alongside cinematographer Richard Kline, excels at crafting a world within a world in The Fury, where the existence of psychic abilities and ESP is effortlessly integrated into the real world. This smooth blending of the extraordinary with the everyday recalls the immersive world-building found in something like the John Wick series.
When you get down to the nitty-gritty details of the plot, it comes across as a bit far-fetched and outlandish, with the government attempting to gather children with psychic abilities, manipulate their minds, and use their capabilities in a Cold War-era power struggle against the Russians and Chinese. However, the film fails to explain how this plan works or the nature of the children’s training to harness their abilities (I suppose that’s for the audience to figure it out). These lingering questions don’t emerge until after the film ends, as you’re too engrossed in the story, mainly owing to De Palma’s visual storytelling mastery. The film is packed with intense moments where De Palma uses his technical prowess to heighten the suspense, whether it’s Gillian’s daring escape from the Paragon Institute, Robin’s rampage at the amusement park, or the chilling confrontation between Susan (Fiona Lewis), the scientist responsible for harnessing Robin’s powers, and the unhinged Robin towards the end. With his signature visual approach, which includes split diopters, tracking shots, innovative angles, and slow motion, he expertly elongates scenes to build tension and amplify the dramatic payoff. Additionally, what adds to the thrill is the unpredictability of these sequences, with sudden shocks in every sequence that take you by surprise.
Brian De Palma felt that Carrie (1976) struggled at the box office due to the lack of a well-known star, so he cast Kirk Douglas in The Fury, and it proved to be an inspired decision—Douglas handles comedy, drama, and action effortlessly, making him a joy to watch. Watch how, in the bus scene with Gillian, Douglas effortlessly shifts from sharing a humorous story about Robin to emotionally crumbling under the weight of guilt over a character’s death, demonstrating an impressive range and depth in his performance. Furthermore, John Cassavetes excels in the role of Ben Childress, a hateful villain who takes pleasure in carrying out the government’s dirty work without moral restraint or hesitation.
The Fury movie links: Letterboxd, Wikipedia
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