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The Stranger

Play trailer 1:54 Poster for The Stranger Now Playing 2h 0m Drama Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 35 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life and love with mysterious detachment. When he stands accused of murdering an Arab man, indifference is his only alibi in François Ozon's fresh take on Albert Camus's classic novel.
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Critics Reviews

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Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 17h
Lightening any philosophical weight, Ozon adds an unexpected dash of homoeroticism and even (whether deliberate or not) some humor. Go to Full Review
Glenn Kenny RogerEbert.com 21h
4/4
Make no mistake: this is a horror film; as you stare at the screen, the abyss it represents stares back at you. Go to Full Review
Eli Friedberg Slant Magazine 4d
3/4
François Ozon’s adaptation of Albert Camus’s novel is haunting, transportive, and tragically humanist, a worthy introduction to the text for the skeptical (or a refresher for the lapsed) and a memorably grim drama in its own right. Go to Full Review
Kathy Fennessy Seattle Film Blog 14h
4/4
I don't believe there's such a thing as a perfect film, not least when it comes to a landmark like The Stranger, but François Ozon's feel for the material, and especially the curious central character, comes through loud and clear, Go to Full Review
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall 20h
4/5
While the plot and lead character are almost unnervingly matter-of-fact, nuanced ideas ripple provocatively through each scene, pulling us into this off-handed exploration of morality. Go to Full Review
Mark Dujsik Mark Reviews Movies 1d
3/4
The Stranger is ultimately ... haunting. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Durian Daniel A @RT68025352 13h una mierda llena de wokismo See more dlma1 M @dlma1 Dec 25 I saw this one at the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood. French film of Camus's existentialist novel about an apathetic Frenchman whose total indifference to life causes tragic results. Very well acted by the handsome Benjamin Voisin in the titular role. The rest of the cast provides good support. Direction is adequate and the period recreations are very good. The film follows the novel very well and comes recommended for fans of the novel. 7/10. See more Rémi V @kernel_33 Dec 17 A very faithful and accomplished adaptation, but too self-conscious to truly carry the viewer away. One may thus regret a languid, somewhat slow pace which, rather than fascinating and adding depth, tends to give the film a self-conscious quality—aware of its own merits and seemingly aiming for masterpiece status and the awards ceremonies that might accompany it. Crushed by the mythology of the book, the film becomes overbearing, stifling both discourse and emotion. Too theoretical and lacking visceral power, it is not the masterpiece it dreams of being. A shame, though it remains a very solid work and well worth seeing on the big screen. See more Talal T @RT50568091 Nov 18 L’Étranger" is a hypnotic mix of chaos, heat, and existential coldness. The film captures the clash between French modernity and Maghrebi atmosphere perfectly — sun, sand, silence, and detachment. The taboo-breaking scenes add rawness rather than shock value. Watching it alone made the experience hit deeper: it felt empty, intense, and strangely beautiful at the same time. Not completely flawless, but almost. A film that lingers in your mind long after leaving the cinema. See more Read all reviews
The Stranger

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Movie Info

Synopsis In French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life and love with mysterious detachment. When he stands accused of murdering an Arab man, indifference is his only alibi in François Ozon's fresh take on Albert Camus's classic novel.
Director
François Ozon
Producer
François Ozon
Screenwriter
François Ozon
Distributor
Music Box Films
Production Co
Gaumont, FOZ, France 2 Cinéma
Genre
Drama, Crime
Original Language
French
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 3, 2026, Limited
Runtime
2h 0m