Stray (2015)
Directed by: Nena Eskridge
Written by: Nena Eskridge
Starring: Andrew Sensenig, Gabrielle Stone, Samantha Fairfield-Walsh
Available on demand from Google Play
The films opening is rather misleading, with comforting piano music over scenes of country farm land. This soon changes as a distressed woman jumps from a van and stabs what appears to be a captor, before fleeing. Turning out to be the films manipulative antagonist, she manages to jump on a near by departing train, where she meets a man who tries to help her. She takes advantage of the kindness of the stranger, only to murder him and take over his home, and soon starts masquerading as the new girl in town, looking to settle down and start a family. After taking a new job, she starts trying to seduce her boss. From here on in it descends in to family drama with nothing seemingly happening, and unless you’re into Jeremy Kyle-esque love stories, with the same level of grace as the TV shows participants, there’s nothing of worth watching. Despite a relatively modest run time just shy of 100 minutes it’ll feel twice that. There’s nothing redeeming here, and even the cast feel like they were half arsed. A lot of the scenes feel like needless filler and the finale should have happened 20 minutes earlier.
The film is part Fatal Attraction, part Hallmark/Channel 5 Sunday afternoon TV movie of the week. Despite a few stabbings and uncomfortable sex scenes, there’s little to separate it from the latter. It’s pretty well shot with some decent direction, but unfortunately it’s not enough. The murders committed in the film barely get addressed and feel like a side note to the True Movies style domestic plot. It’s a terrible film, with a real ham fisted approach to mental health/trauma, which you shouldn’t waste your time with.
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