Thomas M Wright on making The Stranger: ‘My partner said, “I don’t want you to do this”’
05.10.2022 - 22:17
/ msn.com
Guardian critic Luke Buckmaster, who described The Stranger as an unconventionally impressive crime drama that creeps assiduously into brilliance. But even before those early screenings, it had attracted controversy.
Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morningAlthough all the characters in The Stranger bear fictional names – including the victim, who is only referred to and not depicted – the film is based on the almost decade-long police investigation into one of Australia’s most monstrous crimes: the 2003 abduction and murder of 13-year-old Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe. The crime itself is not re-enacted.
In July this year the parents of the victim, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, called on audiences to boycott the film, describing the project – which did not have their consent or input, and which they hadn’t seen – as a “selfish cash grab” that sought to “glorify a horrific incident”. Related: The Stranger review – Joel Edgerton is at his brooding best in this sophisticated crime drama Comparisons have been made between The Stranger and Justin Kurzow’s Nitram, which garnered critical acclaim, a clutch of awards and a barrage of criticism from those close to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre upon which that film was based.
And speaking to the Guardian, Wright admits that he was initially too scared of the subject matter to touch it. Joel Edgerton had been the first to suggest he tackle the Morcombe story after seeing Wright’s 2018 debut film, Acute Misfortune, based on Erik Jensen’s biography of the artist Adam Cullen.
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