When Strangers Appear

...and to put it shortly, it's not as intriguing as Pitch Black but far more enjoyable than Lantana on the other hand.

yes it's true, this is only B-grade low-budget suspense thriller where nothing is as it appears to be (speaking of immediate succession of events) but nonetheless I really liked Radha Mitchell in her role, I really liked the humble setup and I really liked the ending where the story bends into a full circle (well, almost).

maybe it's not an art film of the year with heart-breaking scenes where father and son meet after years of nerve-wrecking separation or something but it's quite enjoyable if you give it a chance. I did and wasn't disappointed.

7/10

In contrast to the other comment written about this film, I actually like this film a lot. In my opinion, it is well acted and the lack of background music in the film helps create a tense atmosphere which will keep you on the edge of your seat. This atmosphere is added to by the way that the film has been made in a small area, due to it's low budget, making it feel quite claustrophobic. The plot of the film never seems quite clear and has many twists and turns within it, making you change you opinion constantly as to who is on whose side. All in all, this is a very good psychological thriller which will keep you thinking all the way through the film and on the edge of your seat at the same time. I'd give this an 8.5 out of 10 as I enjoyed it however it hasn't got the best plot in the world and won't be suited to everyone's tastes.

In an abandoned secondary road, Beth (Radha Mitchell) owns a diner and a motel inherited from her father. Every day she needs to walk on a lonely road from the hotel to the diner. One day, when she opens her diner, the starving and moneyless Jack Barrett (Barry Watson) arrives, and she serves a free meal to him. Soon three surfers - Peter (Josh Lucas), who is the leader, Stephen (Johnny Blick) and Roger (Eryn Wilson) - arrive at the diner and Jack hides himself in the kitchen. The trio asks for meal and Peter is nice with Beth. When they leave the place, Beth talks to Jack and takes him to a room in her motel. She finds that he is stabbed on the belly and drives him to her only friend in town, Dr. Eric Leonard (Steven Ray). She does not want to call the local Sheriff Bryce (Kevin Anderson), who raped her in the past, but when Dr. Leonard records a strange message in her answering machine, she calls Bryce and asks him to investigate his clinic. Bryce sees a notice saying that the clinic will be closed for a few days, and he does not enter the clinic. Beth meets Peter and asks him to go with her to the clinic, where they see blood everywhere and Dr. Leonard and Jack missing. When she sees Jack, he tells her that Peter and his friends killed Dr. Leonard and will kill them. Who is telling the truth?

"When Strangers Appear" (2001) is still a good thriller when revisited more than twenty-years later. The screenplay keeps Beth and the viewer without knowing who is telling the truth and the content of the CD. Despite the low budget, the film by Scott Reynolds is great since the cast is excellent. The music score is also top-notch. After the credits, there is a disappointing footage that I have seen only today. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Quando Estranhos Chegam" ("When Strangers Arrive")

Wow...I tell you what I really liked this movie when i saw it. I was sitting home watching lifetime and this happened to come on. I was so enthralled by this movie i couldn't turn away from it. I love Josh Lucas in this movie. I had always been a huge fan of him, like it Sweet Home Alabama. But in this movie you got to see him act in a different way, he actually got to take on a darker roll. I didn't think that it would work but it totally did! This movie was full of twists and turns. Reading the other comments everyone says that they didn't like the ending but i thought that the ending was pretty good. How they made it switch on and on from person to person. It was a little bit hard to follow but in the end it made it all that much more worth it. I would definitely recommend this movie!

I say this film a couple of nights ago when I couldn't find anything to watch. Having seen the first couple of minutes I was wondering if I'd made the right decision, I'm glad I stuck with it because this is one very cool film. Twists that keep you guessing, fantastic acting, an unusual ending, splendid locations. And, the absolutely gorgeous Radha Mitchell. See this film, you won't be disappointed.

One question though - what is it with Volvo's? They appear in almost every film I've ever seen!