Mersault (Benjamin Voisin) is a young man living in 1930s Algeria. Following the death of his mother, Mersault begins a causal love affair with the beautiful Marie (Rebecca Marder). At the same time, Mersault finds himself drawn into the world of his morally dubious neighbour Raymond (Piette Lottin), which leads him down a dark path. An impulsive decision during a day at the beach changes the course of Mersault’s life and throws into doubt a future that once looked so bright.
‘The Stranger’ is film-maker François Ozon’s adaptation of the literary classic ‘L’Etranger’ by celebrated author Albert Camus. Filmed in black-and-white, ‘The Stranger’ is a contemplative piece of cinema that isn’t in a rush to tell its story. Clocking in at just over 2 hours in length, the film begins with Mersault having been arrested for shooting an Arab man before the story rewinds to explain how that event came to be. The film could be split into three parts with the first showing how Mersault’s life unravelled, the second being his court case and the third the aftermath of his decisions.
Mersault is established as a man with a rather unremarkable life. Working in a job with potential future prospects, Mersault is mostly a quiet man who keeps himself to himself. His fling with Marie starts to bring him out of his shell but his inability to make good decisions starts to become obvious when he cosies up to his neighbour Raymond, who beats his girlfriend and regularly partakes in shady dealings. He also can’t bring himself to do anything about an older neighbour who publicly beats his dog.
Along the way, Ozon makes subtle changes to the source material to give his film more depth but it still feels a little underdeveloped. Mersault’s transformation from mild-mannered to killer seems a bit strange, and there’s no real exploration or explanation of why it happens. Once the story moves to trial, Mersault’s lack of emotion and detachment to what he’s done is put under the microscope but it doesn’t really reveal anything. Social commentary has been added in to try and give more context and reflection, but it feels overly heavy handed.
Benjamin Voisin is superb as Mersault. Even though his character is barely written, he is a magnetic presence on screen and he makes the most of the material. He gets a little more opportunity to shine towards the end of the film. Pierre Lottin fares better as the dastardly Raymond, giving a forceful performance as a man who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no. As to whether Mersault and Raymond would ever actually be friends, that’s a bit of a moot point.
‘The Stranger’ is a well-made film but the way the story is told is too ponderous. The film drifts along at a fairly slow pace, its understated tone potentially turning viewers off. Voisin’s turn as Mersault is the best thing about the film, but his character never manages to really break out of the quiet man we’re introduced to at the beginning. There are flashes of more towards the end of the film, but it’s too little too late. ‘The Stranger’ is beautiful to look at but it’s quite the slog to get through.
Cast: Benjamin Voisin, Rebecca Marder, Pierre Lottin, Denis Lavant Director: François Ozon Writers: Albert Camus (Writer), François Ozon & Philippe Piazzo (Screenplay) Certificate: 15 Duration: 120 mins Released by: Curzon Release date: 10th April 2026
