96. The Strays; movie review

 

THE STRAYS

Cert 15

100 mins

BBFC advice: Contains threat, violence, language

"Scarred for life" and "Too scared to sleep" are the headlines accompanying stories published by the websites of the Daily Mail and The Sun from readers' comments about The Strays.

Lad Bible even goes so far as to suggest that Netflix viewers have been urged not to watch it because it is so disconcerting.

I would not usually comment on the opinions of others but, having seen the poster, I wanted to know whether I should subject Mrs W to Nathaniel Martello-White's movie.

All of the reviews refer to it as a horror film, so I suggested she see the trailer before deciding whether to join me or not.

"Doesn't look like a horror to me," she said, so we flicked it on and she was right - this is an unusual, fierce family drama that has no blood and guts but is a bit unsettling.

Suffice it to say, we both had a decent night's sleep and the 'reviews' left us baffled.

The Strays stars Ashley Madekwe as Neve, a woman who has reinvented herself in rich-suburbia after growing up in a tough London estate.

She is now a private school's deputy headteacher, has two well-educated children, a successful husband and is the toast of her community.

And she has shunned her black heritage, even creating a new posh accent, to manufacture this privileged environment.

Indeed, her two children (Samuel Paul Small and Maria Almeida) are dismayed by her apparent attempt to transform into what she perceives as white upper middle class.

But Neve's intricately developed world begins to unravel when two strangers (Jorden Myrie and Bukky Bakray) appear.

The Strays is a rare insight into code-switching - the way members of underrepresented groups change to fit in with the dominant culture.

Madekwe does a great job in translating this to Neve who, despite intense efforts, is told she is only 'practically' part of her new community.

My problem was that I found her character so unlikable that I struggled to engage fully with her.

Nevertheless, The Strays deserves more Netflix subscribers to be encouraged to watch it - and, while it is definitely not a horror, it has a nerve-shredding and jaw-dropping finale.

Reasons to watch: Unusual and tense

Reasons to avoid: Unlikable lead character

Laughs: None

Jumps: One

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? The charity Stand Alone which supports people estranged from their families, estimates that up to one in five UK families experience estrangement and more than five million people have decided to cut contact with at least one family member.

The final word. Nathaniel Martello-White: "In the context of the Black space, I was really interested in – if a woman really self-styled herself on those people in that suburb, what would be the cost? And how much effort would that take?" Big Issue