With SARS (literally) in the air and The Ring one of the year's UK box office mega hits, you'd think the heavens were aligning for feardotcom in 2003. Shame it's such a disaster on every level. Like The Ring, it marries universal supernatural terrors with specific new technology; but here, an infuriatingly pedantic script, impotent direction and curiously uncommitted performances ensure that it'll end up on 2003's Ten Worst list.
Chemistry-challenged Dorff and McElhone are investigating an internet site that kills visitors in a messy Ebola fashion 48 hours after they log on; it all appears to be linked to an 'evil mad genius serial killer' (Rea) with whom Dorff has previously crossed paths.
The film strives for a murky Seven-style mood, but ends up looking like the budget didn't stretch to paying the electricity bills. Not once does it convince us that this is a real world worthy of our fears.