The Little Stranger *** ½ / *****
Directed by: Lenny
Abrahamson.
Written by: Lucinda
Coxon based on the novel by Sarah Waters.
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson
(Faraday), Ruth Wilson (Caroline Ayres), Will Poulter (Roderick Ayres), Charlotte
Rampling (Mrs. Ayres), Josh Dylan (Bland), Kate Phillips (Diana Baker-Hyde), Harry
Hadden-Paton (Dr. David Granger), Anna Madeley (Anne Granger), Camilla
Arfwedson (Young Mrs. Ayres), Amy Marston (Mrs. Blundell), Lorne MacFadyen (Dr.
Calder), Dixie Egerickx (Gillian Baker-Hyde), Alison Pargeter (Maid), Sarah
Crowden (Miss Dabney), Liv Hill (Betty), Kathryn O'Reilly (Elizabeth Faraday), Tipper
Seifert-Cleveland (Young Susan).
Something
is wrong with Hundreds Hall – the mansion where the once wealthy Ayres’ family
lives. The family isn’t as wealthy as they once were – and the place is
crumbling on the inside, even as the family struggles to keep up appearances.
But it’s more than that – something in that house is infecting the three
surviving members of the Ayres’ family – and anyone else who comes into contact
with the house. In an interesting narrative choice, The Little Stranger is not
told from within the Ayres family – but from the outside. Dr. Faraday (Domhnall
Gleeson) is the narrator of the story – and he’s long been obsessed with
Hundreds Hall – since the days his mother used to work there as a maid. He
returns when another maid is taken ill – and slowly integrates himself into the
family. And that, perhaps, is what hastens everything that happens next.
There are
three Ayres’ left – the matriarch Mrs. Ayres (Charlotte Rampling), haunted by
the death of one of her daughter’s years before, tries to keep an icy, steely
exterior. Roderick (Will Poulter) is a scarred WWII veteran, who has seemingly
started to go crazy – thinking he smells things in the house. He’s smart enough
to want to sell the place – but no one really takes him seriously. Caroline
(Ruth Wilson) is the oldest daughter, and really the one trying to keep
everything together. Faraday is attracted to her – says he wants to marry her –
but both of them are so chilly on the outside, it becomes clear both are after
something other than love. Faraday loves that house – and wants to be there
always. Caroline wants just the opposite.
The
Little Stranger is a slow (too slow) burn of a thriller in that it takes a long
time for anything much to happen. It’s told from the point of view for Faraday,
but he’s so obsessed with his own thoughts, he seems oblivious to what the
others in the story want or think – and they aren’t vocal about it to begin
with. The film is clearly about class – with Faraday being someone who has
worked his up the social ladder, but still doesn’t entirely belong, and the
Ayres who belong there because of their standing, but no longer really able to
afford it. The people they know look through Faraday – he’s little more than
the help, which is what his mother was, and what he doesn’t want to be. It’s an
impressive performance by Gleeson, who keeps everything bottled up.
The film
slowly starts to reveal its mysteries – but even then, not really. It does seem
like director Abrahamson is at times more concerned with art direction and atmosphere
than anything else. To be fair, he does that amazingly well. Like he did with
his last film, Room, he takes a single house and makes it visually haunting –
and that hangs over the entire film. When he finally does start to reveal his secrets,
he still keeps things close to the vest – right up until the final shot of the
film, which explains everything and nothing at the same time.
The
Little Stranger probably deserved better than it got – it was basically dumped
into theaters with no ads in the late summer, and predictably, didn’t find much
of an audience. The studio undoubtedly (and to be fair, understandably) didn’t know
how to market it. It is a challenging film, and an interesting one. It’s also
probably too slow for its own good – and will alienate as many viewers as it in
tranches. You probably know which one you are.
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