The Stranger

A crime-drama/thriller from Australia based on true events. I was looking forward to The Stranger, but I'm not so happy with the result. It's a slow burn (extremely slow) where an undercover cop tries to get a confession from a murderer who kidnapped and murdered a child. Joel Edgerton is classically great and Sean Harris is also a great actor, he may be the one it all relies on. The downright interesting stuff starts with the police operation once the proper Australian manhunt begins (it is the biggest manhunt in Australian history). The investigation and evidence gathering is reminiscent of Zodiac, and in that way the film is interesting, but it's still pretty much an unengaging, drawn out affair. Personally, it lacks the violence or any downright violent scenes for me to be satisfied, it fizzles out like that, but it's not a bad film at all, it just manages to win over a very patient audience. 5.5/10. (21/10/2022)

Despite the slow pace, the atmosphere was masterfully crafted. I was on edge the whole time, waiting for something important to happen in the very next moment. However, the story just kept rustling along, promising something grand, only to fizzle out in the end. It felt like a bit of trickery on the creators' part. / Lesson learned: Life's not fair; a thriller set in Australia, and not a kangaroo in sight. (18/04/2024)