Film Review: 'Stray'

When Jennifer Davis (Gabrielle Stone) arrives in the small town of Chestnut Hill, she initially appears to be an average girl. Soon after her arrival, she meets bar owner Greg Wells (Dan McGlaughlin), and earns herself a job as his bar's new cook—much to the annoyance of Greg's girlfriend, Sarah (Samantha Fairfield Walsh).

Jennifer's appearance at the bar ends up putting a strain on Greg and Sarah's relationship, culminating in Greg giving in when Jennifer makes her hidden crush on him known. But, unbeknownst to the strained couple on the edge of imploding, Jennifer has left a dark past in her wake—and is more than willing to get her hands dirty again to finally have the life she's always craved.

After reading that plot synopsis, one may be led to believe that Stray is no different from the Lifetime films I often cover on this channel. I can't judge you too hard if you came to that conclusion, as the plot of Stray has many notable Lifetime-ian trappings to it (it even boasts the daughter of budding Lifetime regular, Dee Wallace, as its main star). But, in a move that separates it from the drama-rife Lifetime films it sounds similar to, Stray takes a more subdued approach to telling its story, allowing for a sense of tension to permeate throughout the entirety of the film, until reaching a natural high in the climax. While the film had moments of overindulgence in this pacing, it mostly succeeds in building tension over just where the story is going to go.

Much of this film's power, however, comes from a single source: Jennifer Davis, played excellently by Gabrielle Stone. From her introduction to the film, to her gradual meltdown as the film's events transpire, Stone plays Jennifer in such a way where, while you have no doubt she's not all there in the head, you're left wondering exactly what her issues are, and what it is she's after from the people she encounters in Chestnut Hill. As the film goes on, and more pieces of Jennifer's disturbed past are shown, Stone's performance elevates as she brings a poignancy to what could've been another Alex Forrest knock-off. In the end, despite some of her more inexcusable actions, Jennifer stands out as a tragic character, unable to achieve the happy life she desires, and ultimately ending up stuck in a particularly low situation.

Another aspect of Stray works to strengthen Jennifer's character, though likely not in the way the screenwriters intended. She, surprisingly, stands out as the most likable main character of the film. While this may be a surprising thing to say about a film's antagonist, Greg Wells (our film's conventional protagonist) spends so much of the movie as an oafish jerk that Jennifer is, comparatively, more tolerable. Joining Greg is his girlfriend Sarah, who, despite ending up far more sympathetic than Greg, doesn't get off to a good start, sparking antagonism with Jennifer before she even shows any signs of being unstable. Thankfully, Sarah thoroughly redeems herself—in my eyes—by giving a much deserved tell-off to Greg for his insensitive and hypercritical ways later in the film. Both Dan McGlaughlin and Samantha Fairfield Walsh give solid performances, and do what they can to iron out their characters' flaws as the film progresses—though, despite their best efforts, Greg and Sarah's relationship never develops the spark needed to make the viewer care when Jennifer becomes a threat to it.

As for side characters, Ben Lyle Lotka is solid as the minor comic relief character Michael. In her final film role before her death in May 2015, Arita Trahan gave a well-faceted performance as Greg's mother, Edna, alternating well between being comedic lush, and a sincerely emotional woman regretful over decisions from her youth. While some scenes which focus around Edna's tragic past fall into unnecessary padding, most of these scenes allow Trahan to bring dimension to Edna—to the point where she can almost be seen as a non-villainous foil to Jennifer.

While its pacing issues and unlikable main couple stand out as major flaws, Stray remains a worthy drama, thanks to an exceptional performance from Gabrielle Stone, and a script that allows for suspense to build naturally and keep the viewer on their toes. If you're in the mood for a slower-natured drama, and (like me) enjoy movies where you can root for the bad guy, Stray is definitely a worthwhile pick in those regards.

Score: seven out of 10 hot plates.