Strangers

Strangers, the latest feature offering from writer/director Harold Jackson (and the second I personally have had the pleasure of reviewing), documents the saddening disintegration of a marriage between businesswoman Brooklyn (Delemar) and photographer Diego (Arthur). Even after time, effort and stints in therapy, their growing separation appears insurmountable, and each begins to slowly find solace and attraction in other parties: Brooklyn towards charming bartender Apollo (Brown Jr.), and Diego, towards his current model-for-hire Eve (Langston).

Jackson continues his knack for driving compelling narratives through his cast rather than around them. As was the case in previous works such as Iceman: Book One, Strangers success primarily comes from the meaningful and well-thought-out interactions between its four key players, each scene filled with purpose and intent, deepening the characters and advancing the story and their relationships simultaneously.

With Brooklyn and Diego in particular, Jackson also allows the narrative to be fluid. Although we begin the film at the bitter end of their romance, the clever use of flashbacks reveals a sweet love that was once filled with hope and a future. Each glance back into the past shows the little things that would slowly chip away at that, at first, seemingly indestructible happiness, before leading us right back to where we started, resulting in a complex portrait of fading love brought to life by a pair of stunning lead performances from Delemar and Arthur.

What’s most admirable, however, is how the two outsiders, Eve and Apollo, are also given an incredible amount of agency, both allowed to become far more than just the “other person”. Jackson dedicates plenty of time and space for each to unveil their own stories, thoughts and ideals, with both actors hitting all the right notes again to make doubly sure that their roles are elevated beyond mere supporting players. The film's steady dialogue also always ensures the characters, and their musings, always feel authentic, and its direction and arresting visuals are always optimised to accent the current mood of the scene, effortlessly and often shifting from sexy to sombre to explosive and back again.

And ultimately, it won't be easy for viewers to pinpoint a single person, event, or moment where things went wrong for Brooklyn and Diego. Jackson understands that in life, there are sometimes no happy endings, right answers, or a single party to blame. He beautifully taps into those grey nuances, delivering a more real and ambiguous conclusion than other films might dare to offer.

A proper, character-driven drama and further proof that Harold Jackson is a filmmaker to be reckoned with, Strangers is a deeply affecting, heart-wrenching and beautifully crafted observation of a relationship slowly fading away.