When Strangers Appear puts you into the shoes of someone whose life gets turned upside down, and cannot figure out what is going on. The key character, Beth, has a mundane life until four guys show up in her diner. Three of them seem to be after the other, or maybe not. Soon there is a murder. Various suspicions arise, and every time it seems like she has the answers, things become unclear again. Eventually, she ends up playing the role of one of these four, as yet another hapless victim gets caught up in this mess. We never get all of the answers, but neither does the heroine of this film. Given the nature of this film, the audience should not get all the answers.

The acting and filming are fine. This is a simple and small scale production, so it lacks the effects and settings of a major Hollywood film. It looks like it had a small budget, but this does not matter. What makes this film fun is the suspense and surprises. Predicting what will happen is not impossible, but who wants to know? Just kick back and enjoy the ride. This one is above average.

Saw Barry Watson first on "Seventh Heaven" TV series. In this movie he does an opposite of the Matt role, giving a wrenchingly intense portrayal of a young drifter.

The story is edgy, all acting on target. I did feel we should have received more, not necessarily ALL, explanations at the end. The complete void left some discontent after the absorbing ride.

I'm always looking for a good thriller. This one is awesome. Usually, I'm disappointed, but this one is worth the time.

Enjoy.

I got to see this film in the fantasy film festival, that took place in Berlin this year. This film has a "Psycho" feeling to it, with all the camera shots, dialogue types. This is very evident at the very beginning. We're in a country kitchen in the middle of nowhere, it's almost eight o'clock, and there is absolutely nobody except for this young and attractive waitress. But, the tension climbs high up just five seconds later, as a mysterious young man enters the eatery. And, indeed, the whole story is about the mystery of this man, who claims himself to be hiding from his friends. The storyboard is quite interesting, in addition to having a known feeling to it, as a thriller-fan would sense it immediately. Yet it is good.
The direction is meticulously done. Juxtapositions in tension scenes are indeed excitement-stressing, such as the young man's dealing with his wound in the most ungentle fashion and the coffee droplets dripping from the coffee machine, making a 'bizzzz' on the metal surface.
Blood, which is a part of most thriller films, is well used. It's not excesive; it's minimally used, yet very efficiently. I think it"s the fear on the victims that thrill us more, and not the blood.
The end is very interesting. I mean not the end of the story, but the end of the film... I will not tell you, because you really have to see it. I highly recommend this movie.

This made-on-a-shoestring film delivers a wallop. I went in with no expectations and was instantly drawn into the compelling opening scenes, and the razor sharp acting by the young cast.

The movie opens with Beth (Radha Mitchell) striding purposefully down a dusty highway. She is furious when a car speeds past her leaving her in a cloud of dust without offering her a ride. She arrives at a surprising spacious, super hygienic diner that she opens for business. Imaginative quick shots follow of her filling the condiment containers, starting the coffee, turning on the lights highlighting the boredom and repetitiousness of her life. Enter the driver of the car who passed her by, Jack (Barry Wilson) greasy haired, frail, shaky and obviously broke and hungry. Beth warily jokes with him and feels empathy toward this polite young man; she has obviously had troubles of her own. Jack claims that three surfers are after him, trying to kill him. He clearly is frightened and has a serious wound in his side. While he is telling his story, the "surfers" drive up. In a panic, he draws a knife and hides. The three, led by Daniel (Josh Lucas, the only actor I recognized: "Sweet Home Alabama," "Hulk") said they were on their way to the nearby beach. Daniel in particular was charming, funny and sweet. They admitted they were looking for a drifter who they claimed had broken into their car and robbed them. That's the setup, and Beth (and the viewer) spend two-thirds of the movie trying to figure out who to believe. Violence, terror, and things that-go-bump-in-the-night escalate until the tension is unbearable.

The pacing is relentless and for me, the movie went by in a flash. Excellent directing by Scott Reynolds who I understand has made other fine, quirky, low budget films. "When Strangers Appear" doesn't answer all your questions. It never tells you exactly what, if anything, was stolen or whether the drifter or the surfers might be disguised agents of some government, maybe our own. I do not consider this a flaw. It was just one more thing to ponder over. A minor annoyance was the "Oregon" locale. The movie was shot in some Commonwealth country; the road and informational signs were a dead giveaway. The lack of extras (probably a budget consideration) was a plus; it focused the intensity on the main players and heightened the sense of alienation.

"When Strangers Appear" is excellent entertainment. I recommend buying it for your home library if you are not adverse to a scare or two or three.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer