The Fear of 13

For the phobia, see triskaidekaphobia.

The Fear of 13 is a 2015 British documentary film directed and co-produced by David Sington. It tells the story of an American, Nick Yarris, who was convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. He spent 22 years on death row before being released in 2004 after DNA evidence proved his innocence.

The Fear of 13
Film poster
Directed by	David Sington
Produced by	Christopher Riley David Sington Haroula Rose
Starring	Nick Yarris
Cinematography	Clive North, Nickolas Rossi
Edited by	Robert Sternberg
Music by	Philip Sheppard
Distributed by	Dogwoof
Release date	10 October 2015 (2015-10-10) (London Film Festival)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

A stage play of the same name based on the film, written by American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, was first produced at the Donmar Warehouse in London in October-November 2024, starring Adrien Brody as Yarris.

Background and synopsis of film

The film tells the story of Nick Yarris, who was convicted and sentenced to death for a 1981 kidnapping, rape, and murder. He spent 22 years on death row in Pennsylvania. Yarris was released in 2004, after DNA evidence established his innocence.^[1]

In the film, Yarris tells his life story in the style of a one-man show. In a non-linear structure provided by the film's director and editor, Yarris reveals his early life, youthful transgressions, arrest, and time on death row, with several twists and turns. No one else is interviewed on screen. Supplementary archival footage, some original animation, and sound effects are occasionally included as Yarris describes events.

Production

The Fear of 13 is a feature-length documentary film directed by David Sington,^[2] who also co-produced, along with Christopher Riley and Haroula Rose.^{[citation needed]}

The score was composed by Philip Sheppard, Robert Sternberg served as the film's editor, while cinematography was by Clive North and Nickolas Rossi.^{[citation needed]}

Release and reception

The Fear of 13 premiered at the 2015 BFI London Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Film.^[3]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 16 critics, with an average rating of 7.38/10.^[4][5]

Time Out gave it four stars out of five, with the summary "This death row documentary sets up an intriguing mystery that'll keep you gripped until the final moments".^[6] The Times also gave it four stars, and praised Yarris's storytelling skills: "The Fear of 13 is riveting and that's mainly due to its extraordinary subject".^[7] Mark Kermode, writing in The Guardian, awarded the film three stars, and summarised its themes by writing "Yarris leads us on a labyrinthine journey that has as much to say about the art of storytelling as it does about the iniquities of crime and punishment".^[8][9]

Stage adaptation

A stage play of the same name based on the documentary film, written by Lindsey Ferrentino, received its first production in October–November 2024 at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Australian director Justin Martin directed the production, which starred Adrien Brody as Yarris, with a cast of nine. Performances were sold out throughout the run.^[10][11][12] The Fear of 13 was nominated in 2025 for an Olivier Award for best new play, but did not win. Brody was likewise nominated for best leading actor but did not win the Olivier.^[13]