Rating: B-
Dir: József Gallai
Star: Bill Oberst Jr., Laura Ellen Wilson, Lynn Lowry, József Gallai
Not to be confused with the very similarly titled, other 2024 horror movie, Stranger in the Woods – because Google certainly does – this is the story of film student Edith (Wilson). For her summer project, her teacher suggest interviewing and documenting the reclusive Victor Browning (Oberst). He has lived in a cabin deep in the forest for decades, and appears to be an interesting topic for Edith’s coursework. However, from the get-go, Victor seems a little off, and the more time she spends in his company, the odder he becomes. He’s convinced someone – or something – is lurking in the woods watching the house. Victor is prone to sudden outbursts of anger, eats burgers raw, and she also finds him in the woods, covered in blood (top).
This all eventually convinces Edith to leave – albeit quite some time after I would personally be calling for an Uber. Or, at least, try to leave. She puts off her departure after Victor pleads for her to stay, until he has gone into town. But while he’s out, things happen and the truth is eventually revealed, with a little help from her grandmother (Lowry, literally phoning her lines in!). Little attempt is made to conceal that there’s something seriously abnormal about Victor, and you may get there before Edith does. Probably from the moment you see he is played by Bill Oberst Jr., sporting a decent-sounding middle European accent [it was filmed in Hungary, though never pretends to be anything other than deeply rural America].
Given the first half of this is basically Edith’s static footage, and not much happens except her talking to Victor, it’s surprisingly engaging. Oberst is perfect for the role, to the point you wonder if it was written specifically for him. He carries proceedings to that extent, and elevates Wilson, as is clear from the difference in her performance when he’s not around. Initially, Victor may just be eccentric, and scenes like the retelling of his wife’s tragic death generate genuine sympathy for him, despite all the weirdness. It’s a shame the wheels almost come off after things ramp up. Not one but two extended sequences of supposed police bodycam footage, add little, and bring proceedings to a screeching halt, just when the film should be heading towards a climax.
Not that there’s much to speak of there, at least on-screen. Quite consciously, Galkai chooses to keep things small and intimate. Indeed, the film may end in the smallest and quietest apocalypse of all time, in terms of what we see. For this is much more about the journey, rather than the destination, and on those terms is largely successful. It’s great to see Oberst get a proper chance to exercise his undeniable acting chops, beyond simply being a psycho (excellent though he undeniably is at that). Here, he shows once more, why he’s one of the most reliable and effective actors in horror these days.