Stray

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Anne-Laure M well-thought, well-written and well-filmed psychological film. Definitely worth the watch! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Realistic performances?! Well written?! I've seen a lot of movies, folks- don't bother with this one. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member It kept me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what she was going to do! And the ending was really good, the entire movie was good and I'm very picky when it comes to movies. This one was an Indy movie so I'm actually not surprised how good it was. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A massive ambition of Nena Eskridge's psychological drama "Stray" is found in its aim to elicit equal parts empathy and abhorrence for a presumably-abused female character who also happens to be a recurring murderer. It's a near-impossible task to achieve both at the same time, but somehow, Eskridge's deeply invested and wonderfully nuanced storytelling manages to accomplish that exacting balance in this triumphant indie mind bender. Eskridge's toolkit clearly reflects her immersion in the works of the absolute masters within the psych drama space, as she demonstrates that what's not shown at all - coupled with that which is only subtly hinted at - can be far more powerful than brands of more traditionally overt tale-telling, which all too often can club the viewer over the head with its clarity of intent. Case in point is our introduction to our story driver - Jennifer - played with far-reaching range by Gabrielle Stone: While we're first basking in the warm, bright images of idyllic small town Americana, that facade is soon shattered by Jennifer's violent van escape from an older male captor. We don't need to know more at this stage, so it's a tribute to the director's craft that further backstory is withheld, thereby building layers of intrigue and establishing a foundation for the possibility of viewer empathy as Jennifer attempts to settle into a small town - only to exact continued violence on those she perceives to be in the way of an idealized new life. Are we drawn to the possibility of Jennifer's rehabilitation because we've been given just enough to know she's been subjected to a violent and oppressive earlier life? Or are we dismissive of any chance of her redemption because she continues to exact violence when it's no longer a matter of survival? The answer we find within us is that one doesn't have to be mutually exclusive to the other: There are indeed moments which elicit both empathy and dismissiveness towards Jennifer in this carefully crafted drama, and that is arguably the largest of the many victories Eskridge achieves with her film. The intent and construction of "Stray" runs deep, and its terrific execution somehow manages to meet that standard in what amounts to a fascinating psychological drama. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat awaiting each surprise. Many of the performances were excellent, a few rather wooden. I liked the fact that all blood-and-gore scenes were off-screen which kept the suspense going. Totally worth a watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Terrific indie thriller. Gabrielle Stone is a star! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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