'The Stranger' movie review: Chilling undercover drama with a fresh perspective
For a film inspired by an actual undercover investigation into a kidnapping and murder case, Netflix’s The Stranger is a sober, mood-heavy drama that induced in me a trance-like state. I welcomed its focus more on the atmosphere and character moments than the gory details. One could say the film has the behaviour of a nightmare intended to administer a sense of dread rather than a sudden shock. It is chilling, sure, but it’s the presence of Sean Harris —as Henry, a convict recently out of prison—that mostly does it.
Every character converses in hushed tones as though they’re all at a funeral. I recall only one instance where a character gets loud and creates a jump scare-like effect. It happens in one of several moments where a character experiences intermittent nightmares. Speaking of which, The Stranger has multiple instances where reality and nightmares look the same. I hadn’t seen or read anything about The Stranger beforehand, so I had no clue what lay in store. It is one of those films where every scene throbs with anticipation.
It’s nice to see two Australian acting heavyweights collaborating for the third time. Sean doesn’t play Henry as a typical killer; it’s an immensely dense and layered performance that reveals something new on closer inspection.
And Joel Edgerton, too, imbues his undercover officer with an everyman quality. Now when you put them in a landscape where we only see them most of the time, an air of unpredictability pervades the film. The Stranger has the texture of an apocalyptic film, with greys, browns, and blacks dominating the colour palette. I also don’t recall seeing a single scene where there is sunlight. Occasionally, it takes a trip to the wilderness, with the summit of a mountain becoming a recurring image over the course of the film.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film is that of a senior police official gripped by anxiety as he is gearing up to interview a suspect. We also sense his unease in the presence of the same man. It’s fascinating and satisfying at once because the same man was only a while ago taunting a subordinate. It’s a portrayal that goes against the typical image of a tough-talking, intimidating, or annoying superior. The other outstanding moment arrives towards the end: an extreme close-up of the suspect’s face on a blurry black-and-white surveillance monitor while he confesses to his crime. The effect is deeply unsettling.
I also found the choice of omitting the depiction of the central crime refreshing. We hear about the moments leading up to it and after, but never the crime in its entirety. It keeps these details to a minimum, even when the characters discuss them. But by then, we get a hint of the suspect’s deviant behaviour from his portrait drawn to us before its concluding events.
Those who find true crime documentaries interesting will find the clinical depiction of authentic police work in The Stranger engrossing. But it’s also careful not to let all its procedural elements overshadow the dramatic. There is the possibility of Mark undergoing heavy psychological trauma that comes naturally with the profession. And the unusual bonding between Henry and Mark gives birth to ambiguities that one is bound to reflect on after the end credits roll.
Film: The Stranger
Director: Tom Wright
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Jada Alberts
Streaming on: Netflix
Rating: 4/5 stars
(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)