• fax: 1-866-743-3439
  • toll-free: 1-877-366-7327

Blog by Don Kennedy

<< back to article list

Stoker

The title Stoker might suggest a connection to Dracula creator Bram Stoker which would be wrong but that doesn’t mean there are no monsters afoot. India Stoker is eerily played by Mia Wasikowska who won the coveted lead in 2010’s Alice in Wonderland and coincidentally very often seems to have slipped through a terrifying looking glass in this subliminally creepy film. Although living a privileged life she’s a bright loner whose world comes apart with the sudden death of her father Richard (Dermot Mulroney) whose insightful parenting was a little like that of the paternal figure to TV’s favourite serial killer Dexter Morgan. India is clearly a teen with deep issues and dad’s passing leaves a real void that seems impossible to fill by her slightly unbalanced mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). That changes with the immediate arrival of her heretofore unknown uncle, the dashing (literally) Charles (Matthew Goode). Despite him constantly reaching out, India stays at arms length from Charles who quickly seems to be putting the moves on her fragile mother. But as well meaning family (Jackie Weaver) and staff (Phyllis Somerville) not to mention a not so well meaning school mate (Alden Ehrenreich) disappear India becomes increasingly more infatuated with her charming uncle. Stoker is stylishly directed by Chan-wook Park who not only directed but also contributed to the screenplay of such outstanding Korean graphic films as Oldboy and Thirst. His stamp on this North American picture is more low key but every bit as macabre.

Archives