Film: The Stranger
Type: Slasher
Country: USA Year: 2020
Writer / Director: Veena Sud
Rating: 6.7 / 10
The Stranger was originally a 13 episode mini-series, but is now being shown as a full length feature film preying on audience fears with a terrifyingly realistic storyline that will put you off ridesharing apps for life!
Clare (Maika Monroe) is an Orbit driver, new to Los Angeles she’s desperate to make it as a writer, but until then, rideshare driving pays the bills. One evening, she picks up a guy called Carl E. (Dane DeHaan) outside an exuberant mansion, certain he must be famous to live somewhere as fancy as that. They make slightly flirtatious conversation – until he reveals that he’s just brutally murdered everyone in the home she just picked him up from in a horrifically details massacre. Jumping straight into the storyline like this is fantastic – immediately setting the tone and putting the viewers on the edge of their seats.
What follows, is a cat-and-mouse style chase around L.A with Carl not letting Clare out of his sights – using technology to track her every move, whether it’s her phone location services or facial recognition from the cities multiple CCTV cameras – there is seemingly no way of escaping his surveillance, a worrying sentiment in an age so heavily dependent on the internet and all of the benefits (and downfalls) that come with it. At points, this message is a little bit too over-emphasised, and insanely cheesy dialogue such as Carl’s zinger “You think technology is your servant, but really it’s just a backdoor for bad boys like me” elicits eye rolls rather than drumming home the intended message.
DeHaan is a suitably sinister Silicon Valley villain – creepily interacting with Clare on a variety of platforms, rarely face to face, taking out any pedestrians that get in the way of his pursuit. Occasionally, it is relatively unbelievable – hacking into police databases and supposedly starting his hunt for Clare years prior weakens the storyline slightly, it would be more impactful and unnerving if she had been random collateral during a rideshare pickup, rather than an elaborately planned attack.
Monroe is a likeable lead, eliciting sympathy while also harboring strength as she flees across the city with her dog in tow. The addition of JJ (Avan Jogia) a local gas station attendant that helps Clare navigate her way out of the situation, is a great way to incorporate some extra interactions with the characters and creating an additional path for the narrative to explore. Although the dialogue can be a bit over the top it’s still a strong storyline, that keeps the audience engaged and curious about what will happen next.
The incredible Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival is now in it’s 8th year – a brilliant festival for scary movie fans with a curated collection of some of the best independent horror features, shorts & web series. The screenings take place mainly at the wonderful Hen & Chickens Theatre, with a selection of shorts also being shown at Screen on the Green.
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