The Stranger
Two strangers strike up a conversation on a long journey. One is a suspect in an unsolved missing person’s case and the other an undercover operative on his trail. Their uneasy friendship becomes the core of this tightly wrought thriller, which is based on the true story of one of the largest investigations and undercover operations in Australia.
- Released: 2022-10-06
- Runtime: 117 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Stars: Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Jada Alberts, Fletcher Humphrys, Mike Foenander, Steve Mouzakis, Simon Elrahi, Alan Dukes, Ewen Leslie, Matthew Sunderland, Lucinda Nicholas, Peta Shannon, Thibul Nettle, Melanie Munt, Anni Finsterer, Patty Glavieux, Adam Morgan, Stephen Leeder, Andreas Sobik, Nick Buckland
- Director: Thomas M. Wright
Comments
- meinwonderland - 8 June 2024
Compelling psychological drama
Based on the real case of Daniel Morcombe's kidnapping, Thomas M. Wright's The Stranger follows Mark Frame (Joel Edgerton), an undercover policeman, in an operation to try to capture the suspect of a kidnapping.
The movie achieves uneasiness from the start. That special feeling that something is wrong without knowing exactly where it's coming from. Sean Harris is excellent as the suspect, Henry Teague. Through his character, he embodies the physicality of aloofness and darkness at the same time.
While the story might be nothing out of the ordinary at first sight, the way it's told is, and this is its greatest asset. The surreal and nightmarish world of The Stranger will compel you to keep watching. - tracord-59726 - 18 December 2023
Brilliant acting
This movie is loosely based on the kidnap and murder of Daniel Morecombe in 2003 by the deranged paedophile Brett Cowan.
It's a slow burner, however, the acting by the two main players is excellent. The story centres around an undercover operation that was developed in Canada and studied by the Western Australian police called The Mr Big operation. It took many months of undercover work and millions of dollars in operational expenses to convince Cowan to trust the gang he thought he was working for was legitimate. In the end he confessed to the crime and showed the police where the remains were. He was subsequently jailed for life with a non parole period of 20 years in 2014.
Highly recommend.
