Fear of Rain

Lore & Background

The film centers on 17-year-old Rain Burroughs, who suffers from early onset schizophrenia and has stopped taking her medication because it interferes with her ability to paint. After seeing a vision of her teacher, Ms. McConnell, with a child in an attic, Rain becomes convinced the teacher has kidnapped a girl named Malia. Her only ally is a new boy named Caleb, though her mother begins to question whether Caleb is real or a hallucination. The story takes a twist when Rain's father reveals that her mother Michelle has died and has been a figment of Rain's imagination. In the climax, Rain finds Malia locked in a cage in Ms. McConnell's basement, and Caleb subdues the teacher, confirming both Caleb and Malia are real. Weeks later, Rain is recovering with new medication and visits her mother's grave.

Reader's Guide

Fear of Rain attempts to blend a psychological thriller with a portrayal of teenage mental illness. Critics noted the film's well-intentioned drama about schizophrenia but found it awkwardly wedged into a conventional genre picture. Cath Clarke of The Guardian praised Eugenie Bondurant's performance as 'creepy' and called the film 'very watchable' despite its silly hash of psychology. Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times commended the cast and the legitimate characterization of schizophrenia, but criticized the contrived plot and predictable outcome. David Robb of Slant Magazine gave the film 1 star, describing its portrayal of mental illness as cloying and condescending. The film received a limited theatrical release on February 12, 2021, and was released on DVD on February 16, 2021.

Did You Know?

• Principal photography began in April 2019 in Tampa, Florida, and St. Petersburg, Florida.
• The film was originally titled I Saw a Man with Yellow Eyes.
• It grossed at least $170,000 domestically after three weekends, playing at 120 theaters.
• The film has a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews.