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April 23, 2024

The Stranger

Screened on Hulu.


I really don't have a whole lot to say about this, it was rather uninspiring overall. Not good. Not bad. But it's a unique situation, so I do have a few quick comments.


Strengths:


Maika Monroe still has that extra "something" that can't be fully explained in words, besides her usual "screen presence." I like her a lot overall and she saved this for me (perhaps that's a bias?).


Admirable the effort they put in to make this now-defunct Quibi short (short-form show app that lasted only 9 months during the 2020 pandemic) into a feature film.


Some good cinematography and overall aesthetics.


Weaknesses:


Dane DeHaan as the killer/stalker was downright terrible. Not necessarily his fault, I think he's been a good actor in other films, so it may just be that he was terribly miscast here. No presence, nothing fear-inducing about him.


Though the transition from show to feature is admirable, it still wasn't fully successful, and those challenges still peeked through enough that it effected the overall experience.




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