The Stranger

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1:54

The Stranger

Apr 2026

2h 0m

Drama

Crime

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life and love with mysterious detachment. When he stands accused of murdering an Arab man, indifference is his only alibi in François Ozon's fresh take on Albert Camus's classic novel.

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Critics Consensus

Cleverly contextualizing Albert Camus' existentialist classic within a modern political lens, François Ozon's The Stranger is as intriguing to mull over as it is beautiful to look at.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

May 7

I like that it's in black and white. I think the black and white makes it work -- makes the "heat" work!

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David Sexton

New Statesman

Apr 29

Here’s an accomplished Stranger for today, the story we wish [Albert Camus] had written, rather than the one he himself maintained he had.

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Chase Hutchinson

Seattle Times

Apr 24

3.5/4

By the time it closes with its unexpectedly mournful yet gently searing final frames, reinterpreting and expanding on the enduring source material one final time, it names all that Camus did not.

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Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

6d

While no adaptation satisfies everyone, this one ought to be acceptable to most readers, and will bemuse and chill those who’ve never read the book, as it must.

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Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Jul 10

B+

The austerity of Ozon’s 'Stranger' captures the essence of Camus’ famous novel with conviction, dramatizing with a strange beauty the book’s depiction of the fate of a man who’s the ultimate outsider.

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Rene Sanchez

Cine Sin Fronteras

Jun 9

3/4

Ozon delivers a nuanced and captivating adaptation of Camus’ classic, enriching it with sharp political and social context. [Full Review in Spanish]

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greg s

Apr 12

I thought it was a brilliant telling of Camus story, but with a sensuality I had not considered.

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Simon

Apr 12

Beautifully filmed. Excellent acting. And, importantly, faithful to the book.

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Melissa

Apr 11

Hypnotic retelling of Camus novella.

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Michael

Apr 4

Great retells by of Camus’s novel. Acting was superb and I am a huge Ozon fan.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies May 22

This is a really well directed, acted and beautiful looking adaptation shot in breathtaking black and white. The only major defect is the lead character is a cold jerk. That wouldn't be bad if he was more exciting and not a dull jerk.

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John T.

@JohnTesnohlidek May 22

I wanted to love it, and the previews made me feel certain that I would…but I didn’t. I kept waiting for something to happen to make the sorry interesting, though nothing came along. It was a pointless movie about a man’s pointless life and a pointless murder. Like a beautifully stylized Seinfeld episode.

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François Ozon

Director

Benjamin Voisin

Meursault

Rebecca Marder

Marie Cardona

Pierre Lottin

Raymond Sintès

Denis Lavant

Salamano

Swann Arlaud

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The Stranger: Trailer 1

1:54

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Synopsis

In French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life and love with mysterious detachment. When he stands accused of murdering an Arab man, indifference is his only alibi in François Ozon's fresh take on Albert Camus's classic novel.

Director: François Ozon
Producer: François Ozon
Screenwriter: François Ozon
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Gaumont, FOZ, France 2 Cinéma
Genre: Drama, Crime
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 3, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $242.9K
Runtime: 2h 0m