Some films, quality aside, get lofted into awards conversations. Others may fly under the radar to the masses and become critical darlings. In an Internet-influenced landscape, it’s hard for a movie to go completely unnoticed if you know how to look for it, or follow the right people. And yet, when I pressed play on Thomas M. Wright’s film The Stranger, all I knew is that it was a movie that existed; no consensus, no bias, no idea what it was about. A true crime mystery set in 2010, the film investigates the disappearance of a young boy 8 years prior by focusing on both the detectives and the potential perpetrator. With a great tone and two strong performances, it digs and digs at you until you can’t look away. After a gritty, ambiguous two-hour descent, I feel confident in calling it the most unheralded film of last year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Available on Netflix.