“The Stranger” Review!

Writer and director: Thomas M. Wright

Writer and director Thomas M. Wright's "The Stranger", starring Sean Harris and Joel Edgerton, befriends an undercover cop.

The film begins with two people having a conversation during a long journey on a bus. One is lonely, Henry (Sean Harris), and the other is a newcomer to town, Paul (Steve Mousakis). Paul needs a friend and Henry needs a job. When Paul offers to introduce his new friend to his criminal contacts, Henry panics. Enter Icon (Joel Edgerton), posing as a mid-level crime boss with a smuggling job. Frightened but fascinated, Henry is attracted to Mark by going for a ride and spending time with him at work.

There is no other work. It is already revealed that Paul and Mark are police detectives working as part of a wider effort to identify and befriend a series of criminals in a murder case years ago. As we see Mark and Henry draw closer, a parallel narrative shows the efforts of the Great Power to determine the men in the area where the boy was abducted. The protagonist is Detective Wright (Jada Albert), who slowly realizes that Henry is responsible. The timeline of this search is perhaps intentionally vague, but the details are as compelling as Mark's quest to gain Henry's trust and gather important information from his past.

As the couple continues their dance of uncertainty, moving from the wasteland mission and motel meeting to Henry's sparse home, the sound is distorted and observable. When you see two men who are sharp and socially handicapped and trying to break down a beer and have a conversation - lying to each other on the edge of dark humor at the same time. But there's always a quiet reminder of danger right around the corner.

The editing in "The Stranger" creates moments of nightmare within Mark's narrative: Sudden Wounds often wakes up in the detective's sweat. The loss of this unmarried father is obvious, and Edgerton is well portrayed, but it's told in an impressive way that doesn't fully explore his character. However, you still have respect for extraordinary police work, which by its very nature usually remains secret, and this quiet insight will stay with you for some time.

Please watch the trailer: