History of Fear

Set in Buenos Aires during an oppressive summer, History of Fear follows residents of gated enclaves that sit next to overflowing wastelands. Daily life is interrupted by stray dogs, frequent blackouts and choking plumes of smoke. Those pressures fray social routines, exposing suspicion, selfishness and reactive violence among neighbors and workers. The film shifts its attention among different households and service workers, moving slowly from small slights to larger confrontations. It refuses neat explanations, preferring observation over commentary, and it builds dread through sound, long takes and everyday details. Nothing dramatic happens suddenly, yet the accumulated tensions make the community feel precarious and brittle. Characters like Pola and Tati appear in small, intense scenes that reveal anxieties and fragile loyalties.

History of Fear was written and directed by Benjamín Naishtat and released in 2014. This Argentine independent film, in Spanish, features Jonathan Da Rosa, Tatiana Giménez, Mirella Pascual and Claudia Cantero in an ensemble cast, produced on a modest budget.

Commercial box office figures for this film are not widely reported, and it did not register a notable international gross. Its release was modest, with limited theatrical runs and screenings mostly in select cities and art house venues and abroad.

While not a mainstream hit, the film resonated with viewers interested in social realism, sparking conversations about urban neglect, class tension and insecurity in contemporary Argentina. Its stark images and mood have been discussed among critics and students of modern Argentine cinema. It gets cited in discussions about social anxiety.

Critical response is mixed, with a user rating around 5.9 out of 10 based on 13 votes. Reviewers note its deliberate pace, oppressive atmosphere and focus on moral collapse, as well as spare dialogue, austere cinematography and careful sound design, though some find the pacing too slow, and haunted silences.