Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tidy Little Thriller, July 3, 2003
This made-on-a-shoestring film delivers a wallop. I went in with no expectations and was instantly drawn into the compelling opening scenes, and the razor sharp acting by the young cast.The movie opens with Beth (Radha Mitchell) striding purposefully down a dusty highway. She is furious when a car speeds past her leaving her in a cloud of dust without offering her a ride. She arrives at a surprising spacious, super hygienic diner that she opens for business. Imaginative quick shots follow of her filling the condiment containers, starting the coffee, turning on the lights highlighting the boredom and repetitiousness of her life. Enter the driver of the car who passed her by, Jack (Barry Wilson) greasy haired, frail, shaky and obviously broke and hungry. Beth warily jokes with him and feels empathy toward this polite young man; she has obviously had troubles of her own. Jack claims that three surfers are after him, trying to kill him. He clearly is frightened and has a serious wound in his side. While he is telling his story, the "surfers" drive up. In a panic, he draws a knife and hides. The three, led by Daniel (Josh Lucas, the only actor I recognized: "Sweet Home Alabama," "Hulk") said they were on their way to the nearby beach. Daniel in particular was charming, funny and sweet. They admitted they were looking for a drifter who they claimed had broken into their car and robbed them. That's the setup, and Beth (and the viewer) spend two-thirds of the movie trying to figure out who to believe. Violence, terror, and things that-go-bump-in-the-night escalate until the tension is unbearable. The pacing is relentless and for me, the movie went by in a flash. Excellent directing by Scott Reynolds who I understand has made other fine, quirky, low budget films. "When Strangers Appear" doesn't answer all your questions. It never tells you exactly what, if anything, was stolen or whether the drifter or the surfers might be disguised agents of some government, maybe our own. I do not consider this a flaw. It was just one more thing to ponder over. A minor annoyance was the "Oregon" locale. The movie was shot in some Commonwealth country; the road and informational signs were a dead giveaway. The lack of extras (probably a budget consideration) was a plus; it focused the intensity on the main players and heightened the sense of alienation. "When Strangers Appear" is excellent entertainment. I recommend buying it for your home library if you are not adverse to a scare or two or three.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whats all the fuss about?, September 3, 2002
When Strangers Appear, is the kind of movie that can suck you in, and take you along for a suspenseful, and unpredictable journey. Written and directed by Scott Reynolds, the film is an Australian production, set in of all places, Oregon. The plot unfolds, taking twists and turns, designed to keep you guessing. The film features no big stars, but contains solid performances by the entire cast. Ultimately how much you may enjoy it, may depend on your tolerance for ambiguity. If you need to have total clarity and resolution, you may not be satisfied with the ending. Saying too much, about exactly what happens, would ruin it for those who have not yet seen the movie, but here are some peripheral comments. Radha Mitchell, is an actress with talent. She was great in ...Pitch Black..., and also plays a strong woman here. Her performance is believable, and rings true throughout. No cheap laughs, or throwaway lines. Her character "Beth", is busy running two businesses. By day, a tiny dinner, and at night, she manages a motel. Barry Watson, gives an edgy performance as a furtive and suspicious drifter who shows up at the diner, claiming that people are after him. Josh Lucas plays a helpful "surfer", one who's concerned about Beth. And Kevin Anderson plays the local lawman, a guy who apparently has problems controlling himself around women, especially Beth. When Strangers Appear, is an interesting film, with some quirky choices in editing. It starts a bit slow, but the level of violence escalates, at times quite surprisingly. The plot twists keep you guessing, and in the end, you don't know exactly what it was all for. There are some major problems with time sequencing during a standoff scene at the diner, where it goes from noon to dusk in just a few minutes. Also, cars seem to suddenly and silently, appear out of nowhere, a bit too often. The foreign locales could pass for Oregon, unless perhaps you're an expert on trees of the Pacific Northwest. A couple of minor characters, do seem to have a hint of Aussie type accents. The post end credit "post script" doesn't add anything. Though far from perfect, it is still a thriller well worth your time. Radha Mitchell continues to show that she is an actress with much potential. The DVD contains both widescreen and full screen versions of the movie. The extras are minimal, and the subtitling is not true to the actual dialog.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tarantino, April 28, 2007
This one keeps you guessing about everyone except Beth (Radha Mitchell). Even when pieces to this ingenious plot start fitting together, there are still more surprises. Great cinematography and features like the cafe, and the gas station are almost characters themselves the way the camera frames them and then slowly brings the viewer into the scene. When it was over I kept thinking Quentin Tarantino would somehow appear in the credits as "Inspired by..." or "Taken from an idea by...". Loved it and am happy to add it to my collection.
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