Directed by Park Chan-wook and written by Wentworth Miller (yes, the Prison Break star!), Stoker is a psychological thriller with just a hint of the supernatural. After India Stoker's (Mia Wasikowska) father dies in an accident, her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whose existence was previously unknown to her, comes to stay with her and her mother (Nicole Kidman). Both mother and daughter develop a strange fascination with this suspiciously charming man who has appeared out of nowhere and seems to be hiding his real motives.
Artfully shot, with striking compositions aplenty (even the violence is made to look disturbingly beautiful), the story of Stoker is masterfully told with suspenseful reveals and charismatic, beguiling characters who – while a little too fantastical to be realistic and relatable – are richly portrayed by the strong leading cast. Goode's piercing blue-green eyes should have their own credits, his stare evoking a mixture of fear and attraction. Wasikowska is stunning as the guarded yet quietly confident India, a young lady simultaneously in mourning, self-discovery and sexual awakening. Kidman nails the mother with no maternal instincts, a woman who never learnt how to look after anyone but herself.
There are twists within ambiguous scenes – these snippets that flip your perceptions perhaps even more satisfying than the overarching mystery as a whole – and the film constantly keeps you guessing. Once what's really happening begins to dawn on you, it's almost exhilarating. Park manages to keep the atmosphere at just the right balance of creepy, gripping, uncomfortable and sensual; watching Stoker is a brilliantly conflicting experience.
In cinemas Thursday 29 August.
