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The Dark Stranger
Canada 2015
produced by Paula Devonshire, Glen Wood, Jay Firestone (executive), Mark Gingras (executive), Vanessa Piazza (executive) for Devonshire Productions, Viddywell Films, Prodigy Pictures, Vigilante Productions, Prestige Films, Raven Banner
directed by Chris Trebilcock
starring Katie Findlay, Stephen McHattie, Enrico Colantoni, Jennifer Dale, Mark O'Brien, Alex Ozerov, Emma Campbell
written by Chris Trebilcock, music by Steve Cupani, special effects by Ben Belanger, animation and visual effects by Keyframe Digital, prosthetics designed by Francois Dagenais, paintings by Janet Trebilcock, additional illustrations by Francis Lapierre
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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Since her mum (Emma Campbell), a painter, had committed suicide before
her very eyes, Leah (Katie Findlay) hasn't felt herself anymore,
especially since she, an artist herself with a focus on graphic novels,
always felt a very strong bond between her and her mum. Now "not
feeling herself anymore", it has to be stated here, does not just
mean she's a bit down and cranky, but on top of the expected depressions a
severe case of agoraphobia, suicidal tendencies, self mutilation and
hallucinogenic spells. Now her dad really couldn't be more understanding -
so much so that her younger brother Toby (Alex Ozerov) gets jealous, just
because he dealt with the situation much better -, and he tries to
organize a show showing both Leah's and her mum's art, basically to
celebrate mum the artist rather than shed tears about her death ... but
Leah doesn't see any reasoning in that, and she thinks the gallerist dad
has chosen, Randall Toth (Stephen McHattie), is of the devil. But
something drives her to start drawing again for the first time since mum's
death, a graphic novel about a ragdoll of her likeness falling for the
"Dark Stranger" who runs a sinister carnival where he makes her
his main attraction - and curiously enough, the Dark Stranger is modelled
after Randall Toth. Thing is, when she has these drawing spells, Leah is
in a complete trance and after each such period, she finds she has cut
herself and the reds in her drawings are her blood. But apparently, the
graphic novel soon gets real, starting with Leah's therapist (Jennifer
Dale) getting murdered under mysterious circumstances, Toby disappearing
... and all of this being mirrored in Leah's drawings - and none of this
is a good thing ... The Dark Stranger is most certainly
a most unusual piece of horror cinema, a fittingly slow-moving movie that
relies heavily on atmosphere and slowly drags the viewer into its own
world, mixing live action with animation and often defying mere logic -
but the reason that this works really well is that the film's very
well-written and doesn't lose its story in its effects and general
weirdness, which is of course greatly helped by a subtle directorial
effort and a first rate ensemble cast. That said, don't expect a
cookie-cutter horror tale - but instead get so much more ...
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