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Sorry, this movie sucks

Perfect cast and a good story

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Despite a fairly unimaginative title and promotion, this is a gem of a film. In fact, its unassuming marketing suits the small-town mystery of its story. It concerns the plight of drifter Martin (Cristobal Tapia Montt) who, having finally found that his missing wife is dead, also seems resigned to die at the hands of three local roughnecks who accost him. If only things were that simple.Co-produced by Eli Roth, this is a bleak affair, but one that moves at such a pace there is no real time to become really mournful. Every rapidly moving occurrence is explained fully and there are no gaping plot-holes. The local Lieutenant De Luca (Luis Gnecco) is probably the least easy to believe in – which is saying something, considering the breed of characters he shares the stage with – because he is so blatantly evil. With his bravado brutality (a trait he seems to have passed onto his son, Ariel Levy's vile Caleb), you would have thought his actions would have been discovered and he would have been drummed out of the force a long time ago.Due to his nature, Martin is equally brutal in his determination not to let his 'infection' spread, and yet he emerges as a true hero, alongside the faithful young Peter (Nicolás Durán) with whom an unsaid degree of trust has been formed. I am carefully trying to avoid spoilers with this, because there are so many twists and revelations that to reveal any one of them would undermine the experience of watching this hugely enjoyable, rather overlooked film.

This movie had potential. Conceptually it is a solid take on the Vampire genre and it was shot well, but.... But. It is like the movie was directed and written by a 10 year old. The dialog was just way too simple and I felt like I was watching some dubbed Italian horror flick from the 70's. Not that there is anything wrong with dubbed Italian horror flicks from the 70's. I actually find them to be charming. But, it's 2016 and the fact that I was constantly distracted by these attributes was fairly annoying. Worth watching on a rainy day, but I wouldn't put it on the must watch bucket list.

I think I might be too generous with awarding good marks to movies that others characterize as being so-so. Perhaps it's the budding filmmaker in me that goes easy on new and unknown directors. One noticeable and annoying weakness in the film is how spineless the kid is. My goodness, they made him as soft as jellyfish. Also, the level of violence that the three thugs initially unleashed on the stranger was a little unrealistic and over the top for such a small town. But, drama being drama, I suppose it was necessary.Other reviewers here have pointed out how stiff some of the dialog is, and I agree with them. The scriptwriter could've been a little more creative. The lighting and direction was fine however so no complaints in that department. Gore hounds will like this film for sure as it delivers blood in spades. I thought it was interesting how the Stranger-vampire felt enormous pain when being assailed by his antagonists. I don't think I've ever seen that before, at least not with this much conviction anyway.This raw movie is far from the cheesy Hollywood suburban teen flicks. No buxom lasses strutting around in their underwear, no clichéd jock/nerd/goth kids, no overused "loss of cellphone coverage" in a cabin in the woods shtick and, thankfully, no found footage nonsense. This is a mature horror film and, yes, it might remind you of "Let the Right One In", but it's still worth your while.

From executive producers Nicolas Lopez and Eli Roth, The Stranger marks the English language debut of writer/director Guillermo Amoedo. The Uruguay native is better known for his Spanish language movies filmed in Chile. With The Stranger, Amoedo and company continue their tradition of working in Chile, but have decided to give this horror/thriller more of an American flavor. The story takes place in a small, normally quiet town where teen misfit Peter (Nicolas Duran) lives with his mother Monica (Alessandra Guerzoni). When a mysterious man (Cristobal Tapia Montt) comes into town seeking Peter and Monica's former friend Ana (Lorenza Izzo), the once quiet municipality undergoes a violent and bloody transformation. With outstanding acting and solid writing and direction, The Stranger is an intriguing and mysterious thriller that also deliciously serves its audience some horror goods as well. Never going too over-the-top, Amoedo builds up the suspense slowly and effectively and unleashes the wicked and frightening moments sparingly, but effectively. The movie doesn't bring much new to the genre, but still makes an impact with some awe-inspiring moments, and superb performances from the cast. Nicolas Duran, who makes his film debut here, deserves high praise for delivering such an exceptional performance.