Stoker is a 2013 British-American psychological thriller film written by Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield from Prison Break) and directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Old Boy) in his English-language debut.
Richard Roeper referred to this movie as "chilling and stylish and aggressively creepy" and that pretty much hit the cinematic nail right on the head. At time the movie suffers from more style than substance, but it's very easy to ignore because of the great performances from the entire cast.
India Stoker's father dies on her 18th birthday and a short time later her Uncle Charlie that's she's never heard of before shows up and moves in to help "take care" of her and her mother. There's no doubt right from t e start of the movie that Charlie is one messed up and creepy man. He is charming, polite, kind and very supportive of India. He's also a cold-blooded killer who quickly dispatches her head housekeeper and India's great aunt because they are aware of the dark secret he is hiding. Later he shows up to save India from being raped in the woods and breaks the boy's neck with his belt while he is still laying on top of India.
As the movie progresses, Charlie works on seducing both India and her mother and the movie branches off into some extremely uncomfortable territory. I don't want to give away too much but there is a long scene where India masturbates in the shower as she relives the killing of her would be rapist and climaxes at the moment her uncle breaks the boy's neck.
The tension is thick throughout the movie and relies a lot more on atmosphere and tension than it does violence until the brutal final minutes.
This move has been featured on many horror critic's top ten horror movies of 2013. This is far from a traditional horror movie but it is horrifying on a cerebral level that sticks with you long after the movie ends.
**** 1/2 out of *****
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