Hello everyone!
Not to be confused with the Netflix crime drama from Harlan Coben, The Stranger, the Netflix crime drama, The Stranger, takes a look at the true story of one of the largest investigations and undercover operations in Australia.
Sypnosis
Two strangers strike up a conversation on a long journey. One, a suspect in an unsolved missing persons case. The other, an undercover operative on his trail. Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris star in this slightly art house presentation about an uneasy friendship as an undercover cop pursues a suspect.
This is quiet and uncomfortable. It's very dialogue driven, but it's not a chatty type of story. The conversations are sparse and they're slow, with a lot of the context missing or omitted. And there are portions that felt like it was written by David Mamet, but without that rapid fire delivery that he's known for.
This just has a lot of vagueness to the interactions, where the characters are OK with not knowing the full picture. Both Edgerton and Harris are riveting. They both have this quiet intensity, but in very different manners.
About the two main Characters...
Edgerton is on edge, he comes across as nonchalant, but his mannerisms and his dreams belie that facade. And I love how he will quietly look in a mirror and we can see all of this frustration just emanate from his eyes. There's a desperation that's present because of his circumstances, but he has to see it through.
Harris is phenomenal. He's also quiet with almost this hesitation or trepidation in every interaction. And he doesn't come across as somebody with any confidence. He's very meek and timid. But there are small glimpses here and there where he does have confidence. Even if it's just for a second, which then gives us huge insight into who he is.
Now, I'd mentioned that this felt like it was kind of an arthouse presentation, and that's because we see strange and lingering imagery without a lot of context. There's also this sequence that plays out repeatedly through cut up scenes that are just disjointed, but they could also be used as a foreshadowing event where the event itself isn't actually happening, but instead it's a representation of what's to come.
My take on the movie...
I like it, but it does add a layer of slowness to the storytelling.
And speaking of that, the movie is just under two hours, but it felt much longer than that. The pace is deliberately patient, but it plays out in such a way that portions do feel like they're dragging. The cinematography on this is wonderful to watch.
And because this is dialogue driven, it's important to capture the character's emotions and their expressions because they provide so much context for the words. And the actors are framed in intimate ways, which draw us into the conversations and then allow us to feel the palpable tension. There's also this huge loneliness that's captured throughout.
Not only from the desolate locations, but just the emptiness of scenes. There's a noticeable lack of people present in a lot of the locations, which in one way, it makes sense. But even when the characters are in a locale that should be populated, say like a hotel, it's sparse, which then creates another layer of isolation that's experienced by both of our main characters.
Something that took me by surprise is that this isn't told in a wholly chronological manner. While most of it does play out in a straightforward way, there are parts towards the middle that serves as flashbacks to provide the necessary background for what we've been seeing. But it's also not clear at the start that these scenes are flashbacks.
As we go through this story, parts are almost unbelievable in how they transpire. Had this not been based on a true story, I probably would have been disappointed with how a character relays a key bit of information. It seems like a huge plot convenience, but because this is based on stuff that actually happened, I am inclined to believe that it worked the way that the movie presents.
I loved the tension that builds throughout this. We're watching Edgerton's character just slowly unraveling and becoming desperate, while Harris is becoming slightly more confident and less mistrusting. And these character arcs, they're very engaging, and the dynamic that the two share, I think it's incredible as they feed off of each other's performance.
Both maintain a quiet edge where we can't tell if one or both are going to explode at any moment. And the mystery aspect of the story is also intriguing, but it's not completely captivating. I understand the drive to solve the case, but that almost feels secondary to just watching our two leads interact.
There are some investigators working the case, and when the story would place the focus on them, it felt a little convoluted with the way that the info was delivered to us. We still get what's going on and what they're investigating, but really everything that wasn't focused on Edgerton and Harris, it felt slightly distracting. And because of the nature of the crime that's being investigated, this isn't a happy story.
So, just be prepared that it's probably going to leave you a bit in the bell jar. But this isn't a bad thing. It's just something to be aware of.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this story. The acting is what makes this such a captivating watch. The story does feel too long, but that's mainly due to the quiet nature of the scenes.
There don't seem to be as many dialogue-driven stories for us to take in. So when one does come around that's engrossing, you shouldn't miss it. The Stranger shines with stellar performances from Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris.
My Rating: 8.5 out 10
Their quiet intensity creates palpable dread and tension, showcasing their talent for restraint. The pace is patient and even slow at times, made more noticeable by repeated vague imagery. But on the whole, this drama provides a thrilling watch in a subdued presentation.
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