Stray (2015)

Simply A Masterpiece

Pretty Good

Awesome Movie

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

STRAY is an indie drama that drags and drags and drags right from the outset. It's listed as horror but feels more like a dark psychological thriller, or at least it would if they'd remembered to add any thrills in. The female protagonist is a runaway with a murderous past who turns up in a small town to begin a new life. Will anyone uncover her dark secret? You won't really care in this slow-moving and uneventful movie which has a glossy, TV movie look to it.

As a fan of INDI Films I must say STRAY was such a treat! Not too much gore, no frontal nudity...gore and sex have always seemed like such a cheap trick to grab viewers attention if you ask me. Nena (director/writer) grabbed our attention with the story itself. STRAY offered a LITTLE of everything. Drama, violence, sadness, romance, suspense! How did Nena do this on such a low budget. Each character was well defined and believable...some more so than others. I personally had a special fondness for Edna. I wonder if the writer had someone in mind when developing Edna's character. Jennifer's character has a special knack for looking creepy one minute, lovable the next and pitiful the next...the pitiful Jennifer was my favorite. My heart at times bled for her. I think the actor has been in a few other SCREAMER movies? If not, she should be. Greg, who has from the get go reminded me of a younger Michael Keaton, plays a typical guy. I want to say more but I don't want to include any spoilers in my review. Sarah, beautiful Sarah. I will be looking for your beautiful face in more movies. Marvin, I seem to see you every where now that I know your face. Nena must have felt truly honored when you agreed to sign on as wonderful Marvin. When can we expect a sequel Ms. Eskridge.

(Spoiler alert) I was amazed when I read online about the incredibly low budget allocated for this production. The writing was spot on, depicting a woman struggling to come to terms with her abusive childhood. How difficult it is to break patterns, yet easy to fall back to the familiar. Don't let the fact that the movie is a micro budget film keep you from giving it a chance. There truly is not much you can fault this movie for. Of course you can not and should not compare this film to the exorbitant movie budgets we have become accustomed to as the norm. This IS a micro budget film…done very well. All the actors did a great job, however, the older mother was refreshing from the moment she walked on screen. Very very sad to hear this was her last film. She did a beautiful job and every minute she was on screen, I was captivated. I really enjoyed this movie and I hope others will as well.

"Stray"Nena Eskridge's riveting story of an abused woman desperate odyssey to find normality in a chaotic world is yet another echo of the dark side of past film noir classics. It is through Nena Eskridge's bold direction that this film defines itself as a "dark film" a.k.a. "film noir" through the films use of light and shadow and it's criminally inclined malevolent characters. While the film was obviously produced on a small budget, it reminds one of past classics like "Psycho" and "Identity". Nena Eskridge artistic rendering is painted with a broad brush filled with a Hitchcock cinematic type of magic that causes the viewer to wonder "What is going to happen next?" Actresses Gabrielle Stone provides a stellar performance as a confused and tormented young woman who is running from a dark past and is willing to do anything and everything to find a new life. This film is a timely reminder that "what we want, is not always what we want" and "what we get, is not always what we get". Arita Trahan turns in an amazing performance as an older woman that provides a much needed comparison as well as contrast to Gabrielle Stone's character. The cinematography provided by David Landau was excellent, and while the film was shot in color it still fulfills the necessary ingredients to be "film noir". Kudos to Nena Eskridge for the creation of her wonderful story of a woman with a mirror cracked personality who struggles to find a new life while trying to run away from a dark and disturbing past. This time around with Nena Eskridge's capable direction, the old adage "You Can't Go Home Again" takes on a whole new meaning.