‘Who is the hunter?’
Stalker is a 2022 British horror film about a young actress trapped in a lift with a camera operator who is obsessed with her.
Directed by Steve Johnson (Convergence; The Students of Springfield Street) from a screenplay written by Chris Watt.
The movie stars Sophie Skelton (Outlander series; Day of the Dead: Bloodline), Stuart Brennan and Bret Hart.
Plot:
Rose Hepburn (Sophie Skelton), a young actress, returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger.
Left with no phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed (Stuart Brennan), a camera operator who is seemingly obsessed with her. As the elevator hangs precariously high about to plunge down at any minute, some harsh truths and actions start unfolding…
Reviews:
“Like a lift heading to the penthouse, both actors rise to the challenge […] Skelton in particular embodies her character’s final girl spirit to deliver an exciting twist on the Scream Queen formula. Impressively marshalled by director Steve Johnson, Stalker elevates its simple premise to deliver a taut, tense, terrific thriller.” Flick Feast
” …it’s set in such a tiny one location set the shots are naturally extremely repetitive so it doesn’t really offer anything super interesting to look at. Both Sophie Sexton and Stuart Brennan do try their best to keep the conversation intriguing as the plot unfolds and they really up their game in the finale when the true nature of what’s happening reveals itself.” 2.5/5, The Fright Club
” …that sweaty, close-to-a-nervous breakdown tense feeling of being trapped is nowhere in the film. And where the script goes in its pulpy nasty final twist felt to me like a disturbingly misogynist move.” 2/5, The Guardian
“Unfortunately, we’re given a long-winded explanation, with some unnecessary surrealist imagery, that slightly derails the otherwise enjoyable film. It’s also tricky to sustain interest with such a minimalist set-up across 90 minutes, so a punchier third act may have been more effective. Regardless, it’s a good ride and will leave you wanting to take the stairs next time.” 4/5, Horror Cult Films
“Inevitably, with such a restrictive setting and a dialogue-driven script, it sometimes feels like a dynamic 30-minute short (or TV anthology episode) stretched to feature length, but there’s enough to keep us compelled and the antagonist when revealed, proves convincingly unhinged. There’s also an unnerving, Long Good Friday-style extended closing shot…” Horror Screams Video Vault
” …Stalker does well to keep the interest up in a necessarily static situation, with both leads grandstanding when necessary – then underplaying to take the edge off the melodrama. Between the plot stuff, we get a lot of chatter about trivia […] which generally turns out to be relevant to the story. The home stretch gets very gruesome, in a manner we’re perhaps a bit too familiar with.” The Kim Newman Web Site
” …Skelton and Brennan possess enough talent to convincingly inhabit their roles and add an extra dimension to the functional script. Skelton is particularly skilful in conveying her character’s gradual personality transformation. Stalker may be lacking in innovation behind the camera but the two faces before it have come away with an impressive acting showreel.” The Movie Waffler
“Holding everything together is Skelton, who in a real tour de force, plays a character who is herself an actor, and whose ability to deliver extremely convincing performances has long gone unnoticed. Skelton proves already to be the star that Rose longs to be, even as both slyly reshape horror conventions, while (out)playing the stalker.” Projected Figures
“Mostly a two-hander set in the elevator, the film boasts imaginative shots from Johnson and cinematographer Simon Stolland that keep the visuals engaging, and Skelton as the suspicious Hepburn and Brennan as the mousy, mysterious Reed give fine performances as they display superb chemistry together.” 3.5/5, The Scariest Things
“Skelton and Brennan are believable in their roles. Brennan provides the right amount of anxiety and eeriness to Daniel and it’s easy to feel Rose’s discomfort. Johnson ramps the tension, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that builds to a dramatic conclusion.” 3/5, Starburst
“Who would have thought of this? As if being stalked isn’t bad enough. The clever little thriller written by Chris Watt does have you teetering on the edge wondering what may or may not happen next and Stalker is well-paced throughout leading to a brave finale.” Which Film
Release:
Stalked had its world premiere at the 2022 Arrow Video FrightFest in London, England, on August 28, 2022.
In the UK, Stalker was released on DVD on October 10, 2022, by Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment.
In the USA, Stalker will be released theatrically in select locations and On-Demand (VOD) on March 31, 2023, 2023.
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