The Little Stranger

Yesterday I went to see The Little Stranger, another movie that is slow and contemplative but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  In the summer of 1919, a young village boy (Oliver Zetterstrom) attends a garden party at the estate that once employed his mother as a maid.  Hundreds Hall, a venerable old estate held by the Ayres family for generations, makes quite an impression on the young boy as does Susan Ayres, the privileged daughter of the house who doesn't have long to live.  In the summer of 1947, that young boy, now the esteemed Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson), is called to Hundreds Hall, now in decline, to tend to a maid.  He meets Mrs. Ayres (Charlotte Rampling), who still holds sway over the village from her crumbling mansion, Roderick Ayres (Will Poulter), who is horribly disfigured and suffering from PTSD from the war, and Caroline Ayres (Ruth Wilson), a former nurse called home to tend to her brother who is chafing at her lost prospects.  Faraday begins treating Roddy's injuries and eventually insinuates himself into the uneasy household.  Is the ghost of Susan haunting the Hall or is there something more sinister at play?  In the tradition of the best Gothic horror stories, Hundreds Hall is suitably creepy and atmospheric as it slowly drives its inhabitants mad.  However, I found this movie to be more of a character study with some interesting social commentary on class divisions than a traditional horror movie.  The tone is more menacing than scary and those expecting a thrilling narrative might be disappointed.  Rather, the action is incredibly understated but I was captivated by Gleeson's steely performance of a man haunted more by the past than by the strange goings-on in the present.  This film is not for everyone but I recommend this spellbinding tale to fans of psychological thrillers.