THE STRANGER

Australia, 2022, 117 minutes, Colour.

Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Matthew Sunderland, Ewen Leslie, Jade Alberts, Steve Mouzakis, Fletcher Humphreys, Alan Dukes, Gary Waddell.

Directed by Thomas M.Wright.

Recommendation: if possible, see this film, disturbing film, before reading any descriptions and reviews.

So, continuing for those who wish to read a review…

The Stranger informs us that it is based on actual events and characters. Which raises the difficulty, seen recently with the making of and release of Nitram, the story of the mass killer at Port Arthur, Tasmania in the 1990s and many considering it inappropriate to make a film of these events, condemning the film as exploitation. However, the writer and director of Nitram were very careful to focus on the central character and not to visualise his malevolent killings. And, it is the same here. This film is based on the abduction of Daniel Morecambe in Queensland. However, he is never named, and there is no re-enactment of his death. The focus is on the abductor and the criminal investigation.

And, the investigation is, in itself, quite extraordinary, the main action taking place eight years after the abduction.

A scruffy character boards a bus, sitting next to a friendly man who begins conversation. At their destination, the scruffy character helps out the man who wants to hire a car – and who then suggests that he could get a job for him, a mysteriously shady job, implications of drugs and smuggling, and he introduces him to a group of criminals. His friend from the bus is then ousted from the gang and the scruffy man, Henry Teague, is connected with another criminal, Mark. And, rightly, we wonder where this is going.

And, it should be stressed, this is a very atmospheric film, a lot of it in the dark, suggestions of the sinister, and a recurring image of a close-up of a vast mountain, and the camera moving over the forest trees. It is not a straightforward drama, but rather, for the audience, an evocative and provocative experience. This is to the credit of the writer-director, Thomas M. Wright, who has had an acting career but also directed another film about crime and obsession, Acute Misfortune.

But, very early in the drama, it is revealed that Mark is an undercover police officer and that the whole experience with Henry Teague is a sting, the drug issue a police set up, involving a team of undercover police. In the meantime, there is continued reference to two police officers from Queensland who are investigating the case, have Henry as their main suspect, but he has alibis and explanations which they have to test.

The film reminds us of the enormous stress placed on any undercover officer, keeping consistent with the scenario, continually watching oneself, careful, and the psychological pressure. This is very true for Mark, frequent comments through the film about breathing in and breathing out all the blackness. And, for some humanity, we see him with his young son, a cheeky boy, whom he cares for at times in shared custody.

On the one hand, the playing out of the scenario is intriguing, the ability of the undercover agents to keep Henry involved, but ultimately playing him, demanding that for this kind of work he needs to tell the truth – which leads to a confession, filmed, but which some of the legal officers saying it is inadmissible.

Ultimately, Henry is persuaded to revisit the scene of the crime (with a group pretending that they are experts in crime scene cleansing). But, there is the long and painstaking search for evidence in an area which has been flooded over the years.

This is an excellent dramatic film, with top performances by British actor Sean Harris (an eccentric Thomas in the 1999 Jesus to appearances in Mission Impossible actioners) as Henry and veteran Australian and international actor, Joel Edgerton as Mark.

1. Based on actual events? Police investigation, scenario and undercover police work, working with the suspect, eventually getting a confession?
2. The style of the film, the style of the photography, brooding, often dark, realistic but also evocative? Editing and pace? Symbolic images, especially the mountain and the trees, recurring?
3. The time sequences, the investigation eight years after the crime, the range of flashbacks? The final reconstruction of the crime?
4. The introduction to Henry, bearded, quiet, the touch of the sinister, in the bus, sitting next to Paul, Paul making conversation, in replying, friendly, the issue of the car, Henry giving his postal address to guarantee the car? The meetings, the crime bosses, their getting rid of Paul, the passport, travel out of the country? The acceptance of Henry, his accepting of the group?
5. The introduction of Mark, contact with Henry, the meetings, the conversation, appearances, giving Henry money to buy new clothes, his smartening up? The introduction to the other bosses, the meetings, the jobs, transferring of goods, Henry as a courier, Mark as his guard? The success of the arrangements?
6. The audience surprise with Mark, the communication with the police, his identity, undercover? Interest in him, audience sympathy? The sequences with his son, the son being cheeky, the baths, the hiding game, out in the street? Mark and custody, the separation from his wife?
7. The background of the police investigation, Detective Rylett, her background, her associate, their files, the details of the investigation, frustrations? The film returning to them in their growing involvement in the police scam and the detection? Their information about the crime, the reconstruction, the cars, the timing, the alibi, the underpass, the boy’s disappearance? The determination that Henry was the abductor?
8. The continued friendship between Henry and Mark, the scenes for the stress on Mark, talking with the authorities, the therapy issues, his denials? Visiting Henry’s house, enjoying the company?They aredriving together?
9. The various interviews, especially with John, as the head, the interview with Henry, demanding the truth, Henry admitting that his real name was Peter Morley, his time in prison in the Northern Territory, explanations?
10. The set up for the job in Melbourne, the flight, interview with John, the meal in the restaurant, the package, the return? Payment?
11. Mark and the scene with John and the police, the jokes, Mark serious, the film providing the background for this kind of police scenario, scam, the invention, the setup of a criminal gang, yet Henry not really knowing much about it? But believing?
12. John and his stern interviews with Henry, Henry telling the truth about himself?
13. The plan to get the truth from Henry, Paul and his interrogations, pretending to be the cleaner of the crime sites, getting all the details, their eventually visiting the site, Henry wanting Mark to be there?
14. Henry, the underpass, his explanations, his alibi, the old woman, detective Rylett and the interviews, getting the information of whether the old woman was at the RSL club or not, breaking Henry’s alibi? Out into the bush, Henry the explanation, the flooding of the area, the evidence gone? Paul and his question about how Henry killed the boy, demonstrating on Mark? Henry’s confidence in opening up completely?
15. The police, the plan, the footage, filming the interview with Henry, the police chief and his scepticism, that this was all inadmissible evidence? The responsibility in Queensland, finally accepting of the evidence?
16. Henry, the police converging on him, arresting him?
17. The many people involved in the search, combing the area, the hand up if anything was found? The man putting his hand up?
18. The aftermath, the motif throughout with Mark talking about breathing in, breathing out of the blackness, telling this to his son, his final comments in the film?
19. The successful picture of a police investigation, the setting up of the scenario, undercover agents, their skills? The confession?