Australian crime thriller The Stranger – not to be confused with the 2020 series of the same name – has recently landed on Netflix following some strong reviews at various film festivals.
The film sees Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris lead the cast as an undercover cop and suspected murderer respectively, with the pair striking up a bond as the former tries to earn the latter’s trust.
Given the glut of true crime material currently available on the platform, you might be wondering if this film is based on a true story – read on for everything you need to know.
Is The Stranger on Netflix based on a true story?
Yes, it is inspired by a true story, although the names of all those concerned have been changed and the film is by no means a strictly faithful retelling.
It is based on an Australian case from 2003 concerning the abduction and murder of Daniel Morcombe, a 13-year-old schoolboy from Queensland, but the series follows the investigation rather than the crime itself.
The film has not been without controversy in Australia, with a Facebook post from the Daniel Morecombe Foundation describing it as “morally corrupt” and “a cruel, callous, selfish cash grab”.
“They have in my view been disrespectful to Daniel, his legacy and the Morcombe family,” the post read.
Meanwhile, director Thomas M Wright himself told The Guardian that he originally thought, “There was no way I was going to do this.”
“I was so afraid of it,” he added. “I thought, this is too tough. I knew what it would take, in terms of the depth of research that would be required and the commitment that it would ask of me. My partner actually said to me, ‘I don’t want you to do this. I know where you’ll go.’
“But the more I sat with it, and the more I read it, it began to reveal itself as a film not about violence at all. Clearly, the reason for the film is an unnameable act of violence … that embodies the worst of what human animals are capable of. But that is not the subject of the film.”
The Stranger is currently streaming on Netflix. Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix – or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.