Stoker (2013)

After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Writers:

Wentworth Miller, Erin Cressida Wilson (contributing writer)

Stars:

Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mia Wasikowska	...	India Stoker
Nicole Kidman	...	Evelyn Stoker
David Alford	...	Reverend
Matthew Goode	...	Charles Stoker
Peg Allen	...	Housekeeper 1
Lauren E. Roman	...	Housekeeper 2 (as Lauren Roman)
Phyllis Somerville	...	Mrs. McGarrick
Harmony Korine	...	Mr. Feldman
Lucas Till	...	Pitts
Alden Ehrenreich	...	Whip
Dominick 'Dino' Howard	...	Pitts' Friend
Jacki Weaver	...	Gwendolyn Stoker
Dermot Mulroney	...	Richard Stoker
Tyler von Tagen	...	Young Richard Stoker
Thomas A. Covert	...	Young Charles Stoker

Storyline

India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) was not prepared to lose her father and best friend Richard (Dermot Mulroney) in a tragic auto accident. The solitude of her woodsy family estate, the peace of her tranquil town, and the unspoken somberness of her home life are suddenly upended by not only this mysterious accident, but by the sudden arrival of her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed. When Charlie moves in with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evie (Nicole Kidman), India thinks the void left by her father's death is finally being filled by his closest bloodline. Soon after his arrival, India comes to suspect that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives. Yet instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless young woman becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

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Plot Keywords:

shoes | birthday present | blood on face | murder | anti social | 

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Taglines:

Do not disturb the family.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [Brazil]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 2013 (UK)

Also Known As:

Lazos perversos

Filming Locations:

Smyrna, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$160,547 (USA) (1 March 2013)

Gross:

$1,702,277 (USA) (3 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scott Free Productions, Indian Paintbrush, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The script was included in 2010's "Black List" of best unproduced screenplays.

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Quotes

[first lines]
India Stoker: My ears hear what others cannot hear; small faraway things people cannot normally see are visible to me. These senses are the fruits of a lifetime of longing, longing to be rescued, to be completed. Just as the skirt needs the wind to billow, I'm not formed by things that are of myself alone. I wear my father's belt tied around my mother's blouse, and shoes which are from my uncle. This is me. Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come ...

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Crazy Credits

The credits scroll from top to bottom of the screen, rather than bottom to top, like in most scrolling end credits.

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Connections

References Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

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Soundtracks

"Summer Wine"
Performed by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood

User Reviews

A modern update on Shadow of a Doubt

This is the first English language film from South Korean director Chan-Wook Park. He is probably most famous for the intense psychological thriller Oldboy. With his American debut he reigns in the extremity somewhat but does retain the visual inventiveness that is also one of his trademarks. In many ways Stoker is a modern update of Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Like that one, this film has a mysterious uncle re-emerge into the life of a family after many years of absence. Before long it becomes pretty clear that all is not as it seems with this man and he is in fact extremely dangerous. The main character is an 18 year old girl called India Stoker played by Mia Wasikowska who was recently in the not very good but very popular Alice in Wonderland. She leads the film very well and carries off the bookish character effectively. There is also able support from Nicole Kidman as her mother.

The look and feel of Stoker is impressive. The atmosphere is well sustained throughout. If I had a criticism it would simply be that the story ultimately isn't all that original and there aren't really a lot of surprises. What it does do though is to take a fairly standard psychological thriller story and make it interesting by way of cinematic techniques. It isn't a movie that is exactly going to break the mould but it is pretty accomplished nevertheless and is a pretty good first English language feature from its director.