The Strange Ones

The Strange Ones is a 2017 American thriller drama film directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, and written by Christopher Radcliff. It is a feature-length adaptation of a short film directed by Radcliff and Wolkstein in 2011. The film stars Alex Pettyfer, James Freedson-Jackson, Emily Althaus, Gene Jones, Owen Campbell, and Tobias Campbell. It was released on DirecTV on December 7, 2017, before arriving on video on demand and in theaters on January 5, 2018, released by Vertical Entertainment.

For the Cocteau/Melville film, see Les Enfants terribles (film).

The Strange Ones
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChristopher Radcliff
Lauren Wolkstein
Screenplay byChristopher Radcliff
Story byChristopher Radcliff
Lauren Wolkstein
Produced bySébastien Aubert
Shani Geva
Michael Prall
Eric Schultz
Daniela Taplin Lundberg
StarringAlex Pettyfer
James Freedson-Jackson
Emily Althaus
Gene Jones
Owen Campbell
Tobias Campbell
CinematographyTodd Banhazl
Edited byChristopher Radcliff
Lauren Wolkstein
Production
companies
ADASTRA Films
Archer Gray
Gamechanger Films
Relic Pictures
Stay Gold Features
Storyboard Entertainment
Distributed byVertical Entertainment
Release dates
  • March 11, 2017 (2017-03-11) (SXSW)
  • December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07) (United States)
Running time
81 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$28,374[2]

Plot

The film opens as a house fire sends a teenage boy, Sam, and a twenty-something man, Nick, on a road trip across rural America. As they head towards what Nick believes could be a second chance, they tell people at diners and rest stops that they're brothers Nick and Jeremiah and on vacation. Seeming jealousy on Sam's part over anyone spending time with Nick soon suggests that a darker relationship exists between the two males. Sam has difficulty interpreting the difference between reality and dreams. Nick tells him that it doesn't matter and that Sam can turn his dreams into reality.

Cast

Production

The Strange Ones is based on a 2011 short film of the same name co-directed by Wolkstein and Radcliffe.[3] The short centers on a man and young boy who arouse suspicion from others at a roadside motel. It features David Call, Tobias Campbell (who appears in the full-length film), and Merritt Wever.[4]

Release

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2017.[1][5] On May 20, 2017, Vertical Entertainment and DirecTV acquired distribution rights to the film.[6] The film was released on DirecTV on December 7, 2017, before its release on video on demand and in theaters on January 5, 2018, by Vertical Entertainment.[7]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 55% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10.[8] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[9]

David Edelstein of New York wrote the film "is a perfect demonstration of how the craft of storytelling is also the craft of withholding - of revealing as little as possible in carefully parceled-out amounts."[10] Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com described it as "One of those take-it-or-leave it movies where you either surrender completely to the mood and style of the filmmaking or start questioning what it's leaving out, covering up, or glossing over."[11]

References
  1. Joe Leydon (March 16, 2017). "'The Strange Ones' Review: SXSW Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  2. "The Strange Ones". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  3. Macaulay, Scott (July 15, 2013). "Lauren Wolkstein". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  4. "The Strange Ones by Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein | Thriller Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  5. Eric Kohn (March 11, 2017). "The Strange Ones Review: Malick Meets Tarkovsky in SXSW 2017 Film". IndieWire. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  6. "Cannes: Vertical Entertainment and DirecTV Nab Alex Pettyfer Film 'Strange Ones' (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. May 20, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  7. Clark Collis (November 1, 2017). "Alex Pettyfer's The Strange Ones trailer debuts". EW.com. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  8. "The Strange Ones (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  9. "The Strange Ones Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  10. Edelstein, David (January 5, 2018). "The Strange Ones Is an Arty But Suspenseful Drama That Evokes Serious Dread". Vulture. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  11. Seitz, Matt Zoller (January 5, 2018). "The Strange Ones". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
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