The Stranger * * *

This film had me a bit confused - for a while.  It's based on a true event, but director Thomas Wright has made a concentrated effort to distance his film from names and places.

Set in 2010, a child had gone missing eight years earlier and most leads had gone cold. But diligent work from a couple of "home base" detectives - one woman in particularly -  has uncovered new leads -  enough to persuade her commanders to set up a sting to catch the culprit.

We meet Henry on a long distance bus ride. He doesn't look like the type you'd readily want to sit next to, but "Paul does. Paul gets chatting to him and offers him work. Any fool could tell it's likely to be dodgy but Henry is quite at home with that. 

Wanna be in my gang?

Paul's associates look and talk like criminals.  One of the group, "Mark", takes Henry under his wing. Mark reassures "Henry" he is now a trusted part of the group.  Henry is delighted. He hasn't had a sense of belonging for years. At this stage we don't know what Mark's background is or what this group of criminals are into. 

As the story progresses we don't see what Henry did to the child.  We learn about it from the police - its sickening.   

But here is where The Stranger undermines you, because we have actually developed some sympathy for this lonely drifter who is so appreciative of his new found friends.  There are some powerful and insightful scenes.  Henry's clumsy and weird attempts to deepen his relationship with Mark by awkwardly dancing to his favourite song, sexually touching him and saying it was a joke. And Mark, knowing who this man is that he has befriended, but in some way actually beginning to care for him.

At the same time we develop an understanding (and admiration) of the police work, especially Mark who knows what he is dealing with but goes home each night to spend time with his own child.

It's time in the cinema isn't going to be long as it's due to be streaming on Netflix next week. It's been getting a good rap from most reviewers. I thought it was okay but certainly not the best Undercover or Police Sting movie I've seen.  What it does offer is some indisputably fine acting from Sean Harris as Henry and Joel Edgerton as Mark.