Netflix has been adding films to its thriller roster, and The Strays review is here to tell you if the collection has been working well or not. It is a 99-minute film starring Ashley Madekewe, Bukky Bakray, Justin Sallinger, Samuel Paul Small, Jorden Myrie and Maria Almeida, alongside other cast members. Directed by Nathaniel Martello-White, it is a film set in Castle Comb in London, an affluent and posh suburban area.
Netflix’s description of the film reads:
A woman’s meticulously crafted life of privilege starts to unravel when two strangers show up in her quaint suburban town.
-The Strays Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
After watching Get Out, the prospect of watching a thriller movie with race as the underlying and loud motivator is exciting. Every filmmaker uses a different aspect of Blackness to explore otherisation and discrimination. This film does an extremely good job of picking a microaggressor and making that the recurring visual motif through the duration of the film.
Additionally, each character is crafted meticulously, fitting the different aspects of the family dynamics. It feels like a callback to the book and film Passing, where the female protagonist passes as white in the neighbourhood and even her husband. However, in this film while people are aware of her race, they conveniently look over her Blackness and instead have her assimilate in their neighbourhood. The Strays shows how space is important in dictating behaviour and drawing distinctions among two different cultural groups.
It also highlights how being a light-skinned Black person is also a privilege and that this light-skinned Black person’s kids will be respected more than someone who is dark-skinned and identifies as Black. Much of the character Mary’s curiosity with Black hair care and the pride in natural hair comes with the kind of social circle and algorithm she consumes on social media. There is some social credit for her if she decides to partake in this behaviour. For Mary, it is a mark of privilege because she, too, has the option to opt in and out of this culture.
While all these subtleties should have put the film on top of the pedestal, there is not enough pay-off or resolution to the plot that would make it that good. There are many parts of the story that don’t fit in well with each other. There is no explanation why the female protagonist Neve, has been seeing things. Once again, the symbolism of the visuals work well to give a premonition of the events about to transpire, but it doesn’t do a good job of bringing that back later in the film.
The Strays ends abruptly and without any resolution. Perhaps, the filmmaker intended it that way, to leave the audiences hanging. However, it must be admitted that the title of the film works perfectly well with the ending. It is timed magnificently to give me most profound impact to the audience. There are some themes that work well in the context of the film, and those are highlighted in the way we think of an ideal family, once again confined by the ideas of race and a colonial mindset.
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There is a brilliant example of elite philanthropy that is done to solve problems that they have caused for people around the globe. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is to see the protagonist, who is Black become a part of the colonial narrative in order to save her skin. Through the progression of the film, we see two ways of coping with the discriminating system, first by hyper-conforming to the dominant narrative and the second to actively protest against the narrative becoming a part of the negative stereotype perpetuated.
For all the confusing visuals and surprising endings, this film still does a good job at delivering thriller elements, with music and background score making a world of difference when it comes to setting the scene. There are times in the scene when the silence is cacophonous, and it is palatable to the audience watching, something that is incredibly difficult to replicate on screen.
The Strays Review: Final Thoughts
This writer thoroughly enjoys thrillers and especially those that seem to delve into social dilemmas and topical context to make art. This film checks all those boxes. It needs a little more rumination and exploration than this review could provide without spoilers, but it is insanely satisfying when the meaning of a subtle shot linger, and an innocuous gesture is discovered. If you enjoy looking for little easter eggs and figuring out what they could mean, this film is for you.
It is ominous, it is realistic, and it stays within the confines of reality to tell a story that is more scary because it seems so realistic. Retribution is served politely with large teeth grinning, and it is one of the most horrifying things to witness.
The Strays is currently streaming on Netflix. Which visual motif did you enjoy exploring the most? Let us know in the comments below.
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