The Little Stranger, based on the novel by Sarah Waters - Seven out of 10

The Little Stranger, based on the novel by Sarah Waters

Seven out of 10

For a few good chapters, this motion picture seems to promise a rewarding, interesting development and conclusion to a rather good buildup.

Only it does not deliver!

Critics seem to appreciate somewhat the feature, rated by them at 67 out of 100, but the public has been less impressed, giving it only an average of 5.9 out of 10.

Domhnall Gleeson, a young actor with some excellent and promising more previous performances, has taken the wrong decision in choosing a rather robotic, bizarre approach for the role of Doctor Faraday.

Ruth Wilson is better as Caroline Ayres, although her acting is not mesmerizing or improving much the impression that the film invites, but then offers only limited satisfaction to the viewers.

Charlotte Rampling is an impressive, phenomenal actress and she is natural, flawless as always in the character of Mrs. Ayres, the mother of the troubled Caroline and the injured, challenged Roderick.

Doctor Faraday is called to treat Anne Granger, the only servant left in what was once a glorious mansion that is now decaying and facing ultimate destruction if we are to believe the signs and look at what happens to former landmarks of British might, once the empire comes to an abrupt end.

More serious than the affliction of the young servant is the state in which Roderick is for his body seems to be all a terrible wound, which the doctor tries to alleviate with some innovative electricity using treatment.

The man is also troubled in his mind, but this is a condition that all the family seems to suffer from, with their belief that the house is haunted and their strange behavior that is hard to explain…even after the end of the film actually.

One night, there is small party, with guests bringing a daughter along – people with some very outré, dangerous habits, announcing perhaps the calamity that is about to happen.

As she keeps playing with the dog, the girl seems to have been bitten by the poor animal, although with some limited hindsight – I still do not comprehend much, if anything of this horror feature – it might have been a ghost, poltergeist that has actually attacked the child.

The horrible fact is that the pet is put to “sleep” by Doctor Faraday, to the despair of Caroline Ayers.

The doctor has a history with the mansion, where he has come as a child, taken in by his mother who had worked there and who has been impressed with the place that seems to have exercised a spell on him, ever since he has stolen an acorn from the decoration and his mother would severely hit him when learning about it.

Caroline, with whom he develops an intimacy that is plagued by the awkwardness of both strange characters, with the woman appearing to accept his devotion, only to entertain second thoughts and then perhaps become convinced that their union must not take place, now mesmerizes this character.

Mrs. Ayres appears possessed by an evil spirit, eventually does succumb to wounds that appear inexplicably on her body, somehow reminding one of the classic of this genre, Alien, wherein the mysterious, tenacious creatures appear from inside the body of the human host, or she commits suicide.

There appear to be a more scientific explanation of this mysterious saga taking place at the Ayers family residence, offered by Doctor David Granger, who talks about his previous job at a girls' school, where there was an epidemic of fainting and women losing conscience.

He also talks about the poltergeist phenomenon in psychological, rational terms.

Only this motion picture does not appeal to our ability to explain things and events using logic.

It is emotional and instinctual.

Ultimately, it is also disappointing.