STOKER - Review

Stoker

1 hour, 39 minutes
Thriller, 2013
Written by Wentworth Miller
Directed by Park Chan-wook

Starring
Mia Wasikowska
Matthew Goode
Nicole Kidman


"Sometimes you need to do something bad to stop you from doing something worse."


Stoker is the first english language film by acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook. If you've seen any of his other films like Oldboy or Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, then you'll recognize his style almost immediately. The movie has that very dark and mysterious vibe that doesn't really stop until the final frame, not just in the storytelling, but visually as well.
The movie is about a girl (Mia Wasikowska) whose father has just died in a car accident, and her mother (Nicole Kidman) and her mysterious never-before-mentioned-to-her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) during the aftermath of the incident. The premise makes it seem like a typical indie "getting over the death of a loved one" type thing, but this is far from the truth. This movie is a psychological thriller to it's core, and the more we learn about this mysterious Uncle Charlie, the more intriguing the film becomes.
The dialogue isn't particularly strong, in fact, it's somewhat riddled with cliches. The story itself is quite strong, making twists and turns as thrillers often do. It's another movie where nothing is quite what it seems, and the story progresses quite nicely, but some might find the twists to be predictable.
Few directors have a certain style of acting that can be associated with them. Park Chan-wook's movies have characters that are usually mentally fucked up in one way or another, and this is something that the movie does well. The performances feel like they do in any other Park Chan-wook movie. Mia Wasikowska has that emotionally distant stare that has become commonplace in Chan-wooks works, and Matthew Goode is fantastic as the incredibly creepy uncle. While the performances aren't necessarily award worthy, they definitely feel as if they belong in a Park Chan-wook film, and succeed on that front.
The strongest aspect of the film, in my opinion, is the visuals. The movie is absolutely gorgeous, every scene is brilliantly shot. For a director who is known for visually brilliant films, this is probably his most stunning visual work yet, thanks to cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, who has worked on most of Chan-wook's other films.
Overall, Stoker is another good addition to Chan-wooks filmography. It isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of his other films, then you'll definitely enjoy this.

7.6/10

PS. I would be doing you, the reader, a disservice, if I didn't tell you to check out Park Chan-wook's films, many of them are on Netflix. I highly recommend The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) and pretty much any of his other films. They don't need to be watched in order because the stories don't connect, but if you're looking for some great revenge flicks, then look no further.