The Little Stranger

Probably the most satisfied I've been with one of Abrahamson's films to date. Don't go in expecting a horror film - it's pitched somewhere that's not quite Gothic horror (although there's elements of that) and not quite costume drama (it's instead like a 'decades later...' follow-up to your usual example of the genre).
, yes, but not necessarily the way you expect. Instead it's sort of a reflection on class and wealth, and the toxic effect it can have on people. It's about one obsessed man, chasing dreams from childhood regardless of the impact it has on others. Ruth Wilson gives a pretty extraordinary performance as a woman holding it together while the fragility of the life she's lived comes into clear, startling view.

I still don't think Abrahamson has much of a distinctive, individual style to write home about, but it is a handsome film - the house itself is captured in all its decaying glory, like there's a layer of mist and/or grime over everything. He well knows when to just let the performances do what they need to do. It's a slow and unassuming film for much of its runtime, but when it comes into focus it's an impressively different take on what happens behind closed doors in a creepy old house.

eviltimeban wrote: »

Getting a bit of a "The Others" vibe, would it be of the same ilk?

Very different films! As said, I recommend not approaching it as a straight horror (gothic or otherwise) film - while it certainly references and plays off some of the genre’s tropes (overtly in a handful of scenes), it does so IMO to steer the viewer down a different path entirely. There are a few scenes that hint at a