by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Sometimes, the most compelling stories don’t need to be spun out of whole cloth. We’ve seen over the past number of years that true stories can grab the public’s attention as much or more as any fiction.
True crime storytelling is everywhere, and no one seemingly loves the trend more than Netflix. Their latest offering poached from the festival circuit? The Stranger. Based on one of the largest undercover operations in the history of Australia, we follow undercover cop (Joel Edgerton, who is also a producer) who strikes up a friendship with a man suspected in the abduction of a child eight years earlier (Sean Harris). It’s an intriguing premise that should grab attention — as long as the public doesn’t just scroll by its pedestrian title.
Right when you fire this one up, you immediately get a sense of the tone and what you’re in for over the course of the next two hours. There’s a sense of underlying tension that is created immediately and runs throughout. What I really appreciated is that the film just drops you on a bus with Harris’ character and lets you sort of feel your way through what is going on for the first 30 minutes. The decision to start that way really helped me get immersed in the world and get a sense for our two leads as we follow their introductions. The relationship between Edgerton and Harris is framed — as far as Harris is concerned — as that of a handler and a possible new asset within some sort of murky criminal organization. Having that base, before giving us a look behind the curtain of what the truth Edgerton is really living, added to the tension for me as we watch what plays out.
The success of the film largely rests on the success of the two performances at its heart. Both Edgerton and Harris are subdued in their performances, though that does not mean they’re not effective. The shots we occasionally get of Edgerton having to balance his home life with his current mission get us to empathize and root for him even more. Not that we need the extra push once were clued in on the truth of his mission. Harris in particular is fantastic. There’s an unease to him, despite his subdued nature — not unlike that of his villain in the Mission: Impossible series. The understated manner in which he goes about his business makes it even more terrifying.
Serving as both writer and director, Thomas M. Wright deserves a lot of credit for being able to do the story justice. He gets the tone right and the film, for the most part, is shot beautifully with the help of cinematographer Sam Chiplin.
However, my biggest issues must also be laid at the feet of Wright. Though largely beautifully shot, the film is at times a little dark, and there are the occasional shots that seem to be included for their artistic nature alone, which I found distracting. Likewise, the way the film is structured irked me at times. While cluing us in to the investigation is necessary so we know where things stand, there’s some non-linear storytelling doesn’t quite work for me. Particularly when it culminates in spelling things out that the audience is more than capable to figure out on their own. I also feel that it very slightly overstays its welcome and could’ve trimmed its last five minutes or so.
All told, there’s plenty to like here in the performances, the look, and the true crime nature of the story to satisfy those looking for their fix. However, it also manages to do so in an understated way and without the sensationalism that all too often marks such projects and can be off-putting and exploitative.
The Stranger is definitely a Netflix release worth familiarizing yourself with.
Score: 7/10
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