The Stranger

Movie review by Brian Costello, Common Sense Media
The Stranger Movie Poster

Common Sense says

age 15+

Riveting crime drama has strong language, violence.

NR 2022 117 minutes
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Kids say

age 17+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Stranger is a 2022 Australian crime drama in which an undercover cop must earn the trust of a man accused of kidnapping and killing a child. While there's not much overt violence (a car is set on fire in one scene, a car accident in another), there's violence discussed. Police detectives graphically talk about the horrific injuries the child suffered before being strangled to death. Strong language throughout, including "f--k" and "c--t." In one scene, the accused kidnapper discusses how he used to watch a lot of porn, and, specifically, porn involving amputees. Cigarette smoking. Beer drinking.

What's the Story?

In THE STRANGER, Henry Teague (Sean Harris) is on a bus bound for Western Australia. En route, a man named Paul engages him in conversation. When they get off the bus, Paul asks Henry for a favor, and when Henry obliges, Paul offers to return the favor by securing work for Henry. Sensing that the work might be criminal in nature, Henry immediately says that he doesn't engage in acts of violence, but Paul assures him that it's not like that. Paul takes Henry to Mark (Joel Edgerton), and soon after, Paul is sent into hiding, and it's obvious that the job involves making sure people in a criminal syndicate disappear when they get into trouble. Mark and Henry seem to hit it off as Henry learns more about the work and meets Mark's higher-ups, but Mark isn't who he seems any more than Henry is who he seems.

Is It Any Good?

This is a compelling, engaging, and understated Australian crime drama. The Stranger's first act is a constant and almost disorienting array of story twists and turns that challenge audience expectations. No one is who they say they are, and appearances are almost, but not always, deceiving. One of the best things to be said about this is that it's difficult to get too much into why The Stranger works without spoiling the story. It's a true crime story about a horrific crime that doesn't engage in sensationalism and overt graphic violence to tell its tale.

Of course, this element of surprise works best for audience members who aren't Australian. This is based on a true news story of the kidnapping and killing of a child that took place in the early 2000s in Australia, and how the perpetrator of the act was brought to justice several years later. It helps for international audiences to know that the way in which this criminal was brought to justice was a police operation that's legal in Australia but not in the US or UK. Whether or not you have extensive knowledge of the case of Daniel Morcombe, it's a powerful movie either way, and the disorienting journey at the beginning is well worth the eventual reveals.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about crime dramas like The Stranger. How is this similar to and different from other crime dramas you've seen?

  • This is based on a true story in Australia -- a story that was a lead story in the news for many years. What would be the challenges in adapting a true story into a movie, particularly one that's well-known in Australia and perhaps not so well-known in other countries?

  • How did the movie play with audience expectations in order to create suspense?

Movie Details

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