Directed by Nicholas Bushman, who co-wrote it with Mike Dwyer, Stranger In The Dunes is an interesting film, though not without its problems. The issue at hand is Elliot and Diana. Mind you, not the actors portraying the two characters, they are great. No, the flaw is how they are written. Given specific actions, Elliot takes later on in the film, and some dialogue he has about Diana, their distaste for each other does not work.
It’s not like they only begin fighting when Wesley shows up because Elliot is jealous of how the two play off each other. No, they are fighting from their first scene together, which is well before their friend comes for a visit. As the movie progresses, one might think that it is about how a couple needs to kill who they were and be reborn to reignite their passion. But that is not where Stranger In The Dunes is heading. Without giving anything away, the emotional resonance of the ending suffers because the audience does not care if this couple stays together or not.
With that being said, the rest of the film is pretty great. For starters, the three cast members (yes, there is no one else in the movie whatsoever) are excellent. They all share very high chemistry, which makes their relationships, despite writing issues, believable. Chanéac is charming as the strong-willed Diana. When telling Elliot about how Wesley killed himself, before he shows back up, she owns the heartbreak and confusion over what she just witnessed.
“…an exquisite looking film with the sandy dunes and the ocean taking on an almost supernatural life of their own…”
Hovelson brings a quiet, contemplative vibe to the bitter rage of Elliot. After Wesley shows up and ties Elliot to a chair, before confessing to killing his wife, Hovelson plays it off like an elaborate joke. It is hard to pull that off given the circumstances, but he makes it work. However, it is Dwyer who absolutely owns every second of the film. As the unhinged Wesley, Dwyer is a charismatic, forceful presence. He makes every turn, story beat, and emotional cue ring true.
Despite the linear, matter of fact-ness of the story (there are no subplots in sight at all), the film leaves the audience with a lot to mull over. Does life mean anything if death does not stick? Is something like that to be profited from? Who would own it if so? Can you be addicted to dying? While it does not quite go far enough in exploring all of these ideas, the ambition at trying to cram so much into a 93-minute runtime is appreciated.
Frank LoCrasto’s score is hauntingly beautiful. It adds to the unusual yet eerie scenario the trio find themselves in. But the real star is Roy Rossovich’s cinematography. Stranger In The Dunes is an exquisite looking film with the sandy dunes and the ocean taking on an almost supernatural life of their own via the way they are filmed. After Diana is killed again, Elliot and Wesley sit down on the beach and just wait for her to come back. The backdrop of the waves crashing onto the sands is both hopeful yet ominous. The entire film is packed to the brim with jaw-dropping vistas and intense use of color.
Stranger In The Dunes is not a masterpiece, as its lead couple is poorly written. Thus, it is hard to buy into certain actions taken in the latter half of the film. But that aside, the film is wildly ambitious with a lot for the audience to ponder. Plus, the cast nails their roles. The score is hypnotic, and the cinematography is stunning.
"…the film leaves the audience with a lot to mull over."
