Reviews: Strangerland (2015) Movie Review
Genres: Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Subgenres:
Our honest review of Strangerland (2015) breaks down its scares, pacing, and whether this horror movie truly stands the test of time.
Strangerland (2015) Australian-Irish drama suspense horror movie that was directed by first-time full-length movie director Kim Farrant. The movie was intriguing, but the acting and screenplay were below average. The movie was intriguing because it was about a family that moved for a reason and that reason haunts them although they relocated. I became more interested in the movie after the kids disappeared. Overall I would not recommend this movie to horror fans. The movie did contain drama, suspense, and minor horror, but it did not deliver.
Strangeland revolves around married couple Catherine and Matthew Parker relocating to the deepest of the Australian Outback with their children Lily and Tommy. Catherine and Matthew are trying to adapt to their new lives in an Australian desert town of Nathgari with their kids. The family keeps to themselves and refuse to get close to anyone. Catherine (Nicole Kidman - Moulin Rouge! (2001), The Others (2001), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), The Golden Compass (2007)) and Matthew discovered their kids are missing during a huge dust storm. Matthew (Joseph Fiennes - Shakespeare in Love (1998), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Elizabeth (1998), Hercules (2014)) and Catherine have no clue as to where the children can be. Local Detective David Rae (Hugo Weaving - The Matrix (1999), V for Vendetta (2005), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Cloud Atlas (2012)) is assigned to the case. Detective David and some locals went searching for the kids in the desert that was covered with red dust and is very dark. The locals soon turn against Catherine and Matthew as things are revealed, and stories are told. Will Matthew and Catherine find their children in time? What is the couple hiding from everyone and why do they want to keep to themselves?
Nicole Kidman could not save the poor storyline in this movie, and her performance was on par in Strangerland. I gave this movie a four because it was dragged on and did not contain enough details to carry it out. I had high hopes for this movie and was greatly disappointed that it failed because of the acting and screenplay. It was one of those movies that you see all the good parts in the trailer, and there is nothing more to see in the movie. Horror fans who feel that they have to see this movie should see it on DVD when available.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Strangerland Rating Scores
- Our Score: 4/10
- Overall Score: 4.30/10
- IMDB: 5.2/10
- MetaCritic: 4.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 4.0/10
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