Beware of whom you let through your front door. They may never leave. In Lyle-Tek Muse’s urban thriller Familiar Strangers, Bryant Hayes plays Thomas, a security system installer whose work has been sliding for a while. His mother wants him to find a girlfriend and leave her basement.
Our hapless installer’s luck is about to change when he is sent to the home of Joe (Reese White) and Jenny Davis (LaKeshia Bee) to install their new security system. As workaholic Joe heads to the office, Jenny is left alone with Thomas. The two quickly find that they have much in common as they bond over growing up in the same city and sharing a fried couscous lunch.
Soon, Thomas develops feelings for Jenny. He runs home to tell his mother that he has a new girlfriend. On another visit, our hero musters up the courage to ask Jenny for a date. When Jenny says Joe is her husband, Thomas may feel thwarted, but he is undeterred in his love for Jenny.
There is a sense of fun in filmmaking that more than makes up for the lack of a production budget, and it’s clear that Lyle-Tek Muse and crew had a blast making Familiar Strangers. It’s a story all about obsession and how far Hayes can push the limits of his character as our protagonist. It feels like the role of a lifetime as Thomas’ obsessive thoughts ooze out into real life in both creepy and dangerous ways. Hayes plays Thomas as a sympathetic loner who may or may not have some cognitive issues. He masterfully gives off all the wrong vibes from the start.
“…they bond over growing up in the same city and sharing a fried couscous lunch.”
The escalation of Thomas’ obsession is what makes Familiar Strangers compelling, as he blurs the line between fantasy and reality. The film then builds to a horrifying conclusion. The moment you press play, the low-budget nature of the film is instantly revealed. Muse makes up for the film’s shortcomings in lighting and sound with an intense soundtrack and well-placed sound effects.
If anything, Familiar Strangers is what you want for a fun stream and chill weekend with its B-movie vibe and rollercoaster thrills. If you’re an emerging filmmaker, it may just motivate you to make that weird film you’ve been thinking about for a long time.
Familiar Strangers thrives on its raw, indie energy, delivering an unsettling descent into obsession. If you’re in the mood for a low-budget thriller that’s equally unsettling and oddly compelling, this is a wild ride worth taking—just be sure to double-check your loved ones’ whereabouts afterward.
"…thrives on its raw, indie energy..."
