Movie Review: 'Strangers'

There’s pounding on the locked door to her bedroom as the woman frantically applies cover makeup to the rapidly developing bruise around her right eye. Laura’s (Sienna Guillory) abusive husband is the person on the other side of the door.

She imagines taking a rifle and shooting him through the door but instead finishes concealing the darken area of her face and opens it. There is no more abuse, he just wants to talk. Laura no longer wants to hear what he has to say, she just wants to leave to go visit a friend.

On the way to her friend, she stops by her frequently visited café to buy a coffee to go. Her friend lives in a heavily guarded compound in a fashionable part of Sofia. The guard at the outside wall nods as she passes by. The guard on the inside of the ornate gate is the one for whom she purchased the coffee.

They have a few friendly words as she continues up the path to the mansions front door. Richard (Jon Voight) opens the door and invites her in with a big smile and hug. He too is an American expat relocated to Bulgaria. He’s been preparing a Bulgarian speciality for their luncheon.

Once seated in the beautifully decorated dining room, he can’t help but notice and comment on the bruise on her face. He suspects why it’s there and now, as in the past, tries to intervene. Richard agrees that her AA meetings are helping her situation, but feels she needs to take firmer action regarding her husband. Whatever amorous affection she and her husband share is not worth the abuse she suffers on an almost daily basis.

Laura attempts to divert the conversation to other subjects, such as what did Richard do before his early retirement and relocation to Sofia. He skillfully skirts the issue as he has many times in the past. They’re back to a lighter conversation before their goodbye hugs.

Next on her days agenda is an AA meeting. It’s underway when a man enters the room asking to participate. He’s welcomed and sits down, but not before engaging in meaningful eye contact with Laura. They meet after the meeting and decide to meet again for lunch.

The meal is followed by another encounter – this time in a hotel room. Sliding his jacket off, she recoils at seeing his wearing a shoulder holster. “Are you a cop?” she asks. He shyly grins, shakes his head and replies: “No, I’m more of an exterminator. I remove vermin from the world.” That doesn’t stop her from meeting Sky (Jamie Bamber) for more rendezvous.

At one of their bed-chats, she mentions her abusive husband. Sky offers to help with that situation. Their relationships suddenly moves to a more complex level. He describes his work in detail and asks if Laura would like to assist him. He shows her folders documenting his victims. “Just meet and lure the ‘vermin’ to a secret location and I’ll do the rest,” he explains.

Laura’s husband is among their first victims. Events move forward rapidly. He even suggests giving up his career in Europe and returning to New York to start a new life with her. “I have just one more important victim, and then we can leave Sofia,” he offers. She agrees to the plan until she opens the folder containing the name and information of his final victim.

Directed by Tony Dean Smith (Credits: Mercy, Disappearance in Yellowstone), “Strangers” runs 106 minutes and is a “see” for curiously noir love story, well presented with an unexpected ending.