31 Days Of Halloween: Stoker (2013)

Hello, Bloggers, for today's review, I will discuss a horror film or another dramatic film in the vain of the horror genre that came out early this year and went somewhat unnoticed, and that film is Stoker.

                                   Story:
                          Stoker is about an 18-year-old girl named India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) whose father just died and she now just lives with her mentally unstable mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). But at her father's funeral, she is stunned by the arrival of her mysterious Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) who may have a hidden agenda.

                                 What I Liked About It:
                         One thing in particular that I liked about this film was the direction by Park Chan-Wook, and the screenplay by Wentworth Miller. I loved Chan-Wook's use of the "mise-en-scene" technique to tell the film's story. For example, there is one scene where India is lying on her bed and is surrounded by many shoes she's worn as she's grown over the years, and when she puts on a new pair of fancy shoes she got for her 18th birthday, it signified her transformation from a girl to a woman as the film progresses. Also, the character of India mostly wears gray and black clothes, which represents her depressive state. Mia Wasikowska gives quite a good performance as India and she is easily just as good here as she is in her breakout role in Alice in Wonderland. Plus, this film shows the impressive range that she has as an actress and I can see her becoming one of the best modern character actresses. Matthew Goode is also very good as he is both charming yet brooding as Uncle Charlie, and he made his character very complex and an interesting experience to watch. But one actress that also really shines is Nicole Kidman. She has a small supporting role, but when she is on screen, she has a strong presence, especially in her big monologue scene shown in the previews, where she explains why people decide to have children. That scene will give you chills.

                               What I Didn't Like About It:
                            Nothing.

                               Consensus:
                            Overall, Stoker is a highly inventive, chilling yet intoxicating work of art thanks to the performances from the cast and the film's brilliant direction by Park Chan-Wook. Now, if you are looking for an extreme gorefest with loads of T&A, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a horror film with some thought and artistry behind it, you might like this.

Rating: 4/5