Welcome the Stranger

I wanted to like the movie but that didn't happen. Neither actress is very good at acting so they did little to add anything to the movie.

This film is a very interesting feature that psychologically ascends reaching many levels. A mystery thriller with very mild hints of disturbing scenarios preparing to unfold. The storyline moves at a slow pace but always remains intriguing and entertaining through out. It also pushes the boundaries a bit but not quite enough to really set this film apart to stand out from others and become memorable.

Now the obstacle with storylines that try to be unique and edgy with a psychological twist boils down to one factor, If they do not know where they are going or if they have no idea how to explain the events that unfolded on film most movies like this one will just quit and run the credits as if it's the viewers fault for not hypothesizing a good ending or leaving it to ones own interpretation to figure it out. Ultimately at the end you'll feel as though you've wasted your time and now your more angry than the chrachters you just watched on screen. Was this scene a dream she had or did this really happen, Was he hallucinating etc.etc. We watch intriguing movies to experience someones story not imagine our own explanation.

This film was a very interesting ride until you realize at the end it's just a hampster wheel going nowhere. I advise you to skip this film it isn't worth the time but if you have a couple hours to waste you should enjoy it.

Alice (Abbey Lee Kershaw) arrives unannounced at her estranged brother Ethan (Caleb Landry Jones)'s mansion. He reluctantly allows her to stay overnight. The siblings have a mysterious mommy issue with their late mother. Ethan's girlfriend Misty (Riley Keough) arrives.

"Hey, stop acting weird.", Ethan tells Alice in front of Misty. That's what I want to say to this movie. Writer/director Justin Kelly is trying really hard to be arthouse worthy with close-ups, mumblecore, a portal to nowhere, and a strange psychosexual mystery. It's trying too hard and being too weird. Abbey Lee has the haunted emaciated look of a supermodel. Caleb looks like a creepy serial killer. They're acting strange for the sake of the movie. It's play acting. It could still be saved by an amazing ending to wrap it up. Instead, it does the amateur move and does it without the kinetic energy to drive it home. This is a slow, long tease to a hollow ending and doesn't explain some of the more weird elements.

Weird, weird movie. I honestly liked the first half-very atmospheric, suspenseful and dark with minimal dialogue and a lot of unanswered questions.

But in the second half, instead of wrapping up lose ends by providing explanation, the creators seemed to think that I (and others) can read their minds. I can't. I have no idea what this movie is about. I'm definitely not against oddball artsy movies, but this one required a bit more worth with development and editing.

Although the acting is really good, with lots of subtlety, it never felt believable with the storyline. And it has the same weird, dark and dirty vibe as Neon Demon. In fact it feels like a prequel.

I do like a lot of strange films but his is just the worst. Far too pretentious and deep without even trying to explain itself.

A good waste of 90 minutes.

Maybe an epilogue to explain it would help as the film doesnt.