Fearless (2020) review – a fun, non-serious family film with a gaming storyline

By Daniel Hart
Published: August 14, 2020 (Last updated: last month)
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Netflix film Fearless
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Summary

Fearless is not special, nor will it be remembered, but for a family experience, this is certainly a story that you can watch together if there’s nothing else on.

Netflix film Fearless was released on the platform on August 14, 2020. This review of the family film contains no spoilers.


I remember when I was younger and I first got a taste of online gaming. It was still a new concept back then but it hooked you in from the offset. I would constantly be battling with my parents over dinner time — they did not understand that I couldn’t just quit a game. I had a record to maintain and quitting would make me look rather bad. Looking back, it was clearly an irrational moment — kill streaks, win records meaning nothing now (unless you are a wealthy gamer streamer and found yourself a niche). The first 10-minutes of Fearless is highly relatable as it reminds you of your younger days of being pestered while gaming; even though it’s a family film aiming for the kids — I got it.

Fearless brings a scenario whereby the gaming characters come to life and enter your world. What would you do? Is the entire objective still to win or would there be newer priorities, i.e. a young girl you have a crush on coming around to do a school project together? That’s the reality the lead character is facing in the Netflix film but as the gaming world folds out into the real one, the stakes heighten.

So what you essentially have is an action-adventure film that sees the characters navigating in the outside world while trying to find a way of not getting into trouble as the gaming elements seemingly become more aggressive. The Netflix film spends a large portion of its time showing screen time from the gaming itself so the audience can get a sense of who the hero and villain are.

Netflix’s Fearless is not special, nor will it be remembered, but for a family experience, this is certainly a story that you can watch together if there’s nothing else on.

Movie Reviews, Netflix