When a Sci-Fi (ish) Thriller uses the shopworn template of: 3 friends in the mountains, alone for a weekend reunion with no other people around and sketchy phone service – you have to give it credit for the things it adds to the formula. In the case of ‘Old Strangers,’ writer/director Nick Gregorio updates the creaky premise with great contemporary references and a likable cast who keep our interest.
Our three characters, Michael (Ted Evans), Sarah (Madeleine Humphries), and Danny (Colton Eschief Mastro) have been homebound during the pandemic and itching to get some fresh air and see some fresh faces. Their nice Airbnb is as perfect as their Big Bear Lake surroundings, and with a pandemic still happening, it’s no surprise that things are very sparsely populated.
While on a hike, Danny spots something weird on the ground, and as he reaches down to touche it, it bites or stings or somehow touches him first, making his finger look pretty gnarly. Later that night, as the three chat, Danny starts acting weird and staring off into space. Something is happening to him, but what? You’ll have to wait and see.
But you won’t have to wait long, at 1 hour and 2 minutes, this is the shortest feature film I can ever remember seeing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it easy to sub-consciously calculate how much setup Gregorio is laying down, versus how much payoff he provides before it ends. The ratio could use some tweaking.
Madeleine Humphries is the audience’s avatar – the sensible one keeping things in line, and her possible love interest (hey, it’s a cabin in the woods-type thing, there’s gonna be some sexual tension) played with an amped up Owen Wilson vibe, Ted Evans, is a good foil. As for Colton Eschief Mastro, his job is to look creepy, yet mysterious and he nails that down. There are subplots that arise from the group dynamics which I’ll leave for you to discover.
Truth is I’d have been disappointed if this had been a two hour romp round the woods with its fairly meager finale, but at this length, it’s hard to be mad at it. Our attention has been kept, at least.
Old Strangers | 2 out of 4 Stars|Now Available on Digital from Gravitas Ventures
