When Strangers Appear (2001)

61% of users liked it
(629 ratings)

A woman is placed in a dangerous position after a chance meeting with a stranger in this suspense drama. A drifter wanders into a quiet diner off a highway, and the woman who manages the place takes pity on him and gives him breakfast on the house since he doesn't have any money. The stranger looks… More A woman is placed in a dangerous position after a chance meeting with a stranger in this suspense drama. A drifter wanders into a quiet diner off a highway, and the woman who manages the place takes pity on him and gives him breakfast on the house since he doesn't have any money. The stranger looks like he's been injured recently, and when three men come in for something to eat, he warns the manager that the new customers are not to be trusted -- he has information that they want, and they would be willing to hurt her as badly as they hurt him in order to get it. Whom should she believe? And what will happen if the drifter happens to be right? Produced under the title Shearer's Breakfast, When Strangers Appear stars Barry Watson, Radha Mitchell, and Josh Lucas; though set in the United States, the film was actually shot in New Zealand. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Scott Reynolds
Written By: Scott Reynolds
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jan 29, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a surprisingly engaging and involving little thriller.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
When I was young, I was taught to ignore people I didn't know or recognize. That's what I'd advise doing with this brainless film.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Steven V

A nice little thriller with some genre-appropriate and rather predictable twists. The well written and great setting make this movie look very good.
Chosen 7

Surprisingly solid suspense-thriller filled with interesting twists, written and directed by Scott Reynolds. Good writing, very interesting subplots which compliment everything on the surface very well. Great cinematography. Good performances all around; especially by Radha Mitchell… More
Surprisingly solid suspense-thriller filled with interesting twists, written and directed by Scott Reynolds. Good writing, very interesting subplots which compliment everything on the surface very well. Great cinematography. Good performances all around; especially by Radha Mitchell ["Pitch Black"], Josh Lucas ["Glory Road"], Barry Watson ["Boogeyman", which was a crappy movie by the way], and Kevin Anderson. Overall it's a very entertaining film and the ending is pretty good even though it was a bit unrealistic.
Doctor S

A film like 'When Strangers Appear' serves as a worthy reminder of how difficult a well-constructed screenplay is to write by demonstrating how poorly it can be done! Truly an amateurish effort: a vehicle changes location without a driver, 3 men cannot chase down a… More
A film like 'When Strangers Appear' serves as a worthy reminder of how difficult a well-constructed screenplay is to write by demonstrating how poorly it can be done! Truly an amateurish effort: a vehicle changes location without a driver, 3 men cannot chase down a 5'4" woman neither in their car nor on foot, enemies routinely appear from nowhere, and the hackneyed King of McGuffins, an unexplained computer disc. How original! These inadequacies disrupt what began as an intriguing mystery/thriller with a wounded drifter appearing at an offroad diner tended by a jaded waitress with a secret of her own. Unfortunately the writer seemed to have concocted his scenes first but then had no idea how to string them together. Josh Lucas and his cronies are fairly pedestrian, the only reason this gets two stars is the typically involving, realistic work from Radha Mitchell who draws us into her plight. And the final pre-credit scene is an ironic chuckler. But set in Oregon?? Ha ha, I don't think so!