Film Snail

Perfect Stranger
Perfect Stranger

5.8

Perfect Stranger

R·2007·109m

Summary

A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.

Crew

Director

James Foley

Screenplay

Todd Komarnicki

Story

Jon Bokenkamp

Reviews

R

RalphRahal

February 13, 2025

4

Perfect Stranger is one of those movies that tries to be a slick psychological thriller but ends up feeling like a mess of half-baked ideas. The plot starts off with potential, setting up an intriguing mystery, but the execution is all over the place. Instead of building suspense naturally, it throws in forced twists and unnecessary subplots that make the story feel scattered rather than engaging. The script is weak, with awkward dialogue and unnatural character interactions that make it hard to take seriously.

The directing and cinematography choices don’t help either. The framing is weird, with tight close-ups that often cut off the tops of actors' heads, making the whole thing visually frustrating. The performances feel underwhelming, especially Bruce Willis, who seems uninterested in the role. Even Halle Berry, who is usually solid, struggles with the material. The film tries to create tension through its score and sound design, but it never really lands. Instead of enhancing the atmosphere, it just highlights how flat everything feels. Overall, Perfect Stranger feels more like a wasted opportunity than a gripping thriller.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$60,795,000.00

Revenue:

$73,090,611.00

Keywords

sense of guilt
staging
sex scandal
seduction
expiation
murder
psychotic
taunting
angry
cautionary
dramatic
suspenseful
incredulous
egotistical
tense
assertive
cruel
enraged
foreboding