How in the TV series "Stranger" by Stephen King realism scares more mysticism

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Critic Alexei Khromov understands why the dramatic component is important in the new HBO project.

On the HBO channel (in Russia - on "Amediatek") a series was launched that combines elements of detective and mysticism. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, and the rights to film adaptation were acquired literally immediately after the book appeared in print.

As you know, the famous master of horrors writes a lot, and his works are often transferred to screens. However, not all film and television versions of King's novels are successful. But Outsider has a chance of repeating the success of the first season of Mister Mercedes and Castle Rock, and perhaps bypassing them a lot. It's all about interesting topics, as well as an unexpected combination of genres.

Real detective

It all starts with a child being brutally murdered in a small town. The torn body, which even had traces of human teeth, was thrown into the forest. Soon, detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelssohn) has a suspect - the coach of the children's baseball team Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman). The evidence seems to be irrefutable, and the perpetrator is arrested during a match in a stadium filled with spectators.

However, soon Maitland not only declares his innocence, but also provides an iron alibi. But by this time, a chain of events has already been launched, which will turn the lives of all participants in the investigation.

In an interesting way, the series adaptations of King, who is usually called the King of Horrors, are increasingly leaning towards the detective format. First of all, "Mister Mercedes" comes to mind, where in the first season (as in the first volume of the original) they completely abandoned the mystical component, concentrating on the confrontation between a policeman and a criminal.

In "Stranger" without horror and the supernatural will not do, but still the beginning of the season - this is exactly a detective thriller. Only the action unfolds here is rather curious: no one doubts the guilt of the killer, there is too much evidence. And initially the police think only about bringing the case to trial and punishing the offender.

At the same time, the accused immediately seems more pleasant to the viewer, and in general Detective Anderson can hardly be called a positive hero. Here, the authors made a completely correct bet on the contrast of the charming Bateman (who himself directed the first two episodes) and the sharper, controversial Mendelssohn. Both handle their roles perfectly.

At first it seems that the action will again be built on the confrontation between the two heroes, but from the very beginning they give hints of another storyline. At the same time, the unhurried pace of a noir detective is just a hoax. Already in the second episode, the action will take a sharp turn.

Small town life

The authors of films and TV series, it seems, have only recently finally figured out the main advantage of Stephen King's works. And these are not at all scary creatures and ancient horror. He perfectly knows how to describe the everyday life of small American towns with all its charms and problems. And monsters are usually just a metaphor for human failings. And the first part of the new film adaptation of "It" is a vivid example of the successful use of such a technique.

In "Stranger," the creators of the series do exactly the same thing at first. They show that a homicide in a small town is not just a statistic, but a tragedy indeed. And the public arrest of a person immediately puts an end to the further quiet life. In a city where everyone knows each other by name, rumors spread instantly, and the townsfolk are very fond of passing their verdicts without waiting for the trial.

The police also get it. At some point, it becomes clear that some of them do not want to get to the bottom of the truth, they just need to put the suspect in prison and prove their own innocence.

The detective plot once again shows how people are greedy for rumors and how a terrible event affects dozens of people at once.

Typical Stephen King

But "Stranger" will not stay long in the framework of only a detective story. The very plot itself hints at a certain supernaturalness of what is happening, especially since a very strange character is watching all the main participants in the process all the time.

Those familiar with the book already know what will happen next. Although the authors of the film adaptation are free to change the plot (as, for example, in the movie "Doctor Sleep" based on the same King).

But the action of the series will definitely take a mystical turn and turn to King's favorite stories. Some viewers may be unhappy with this - too well and realistically wrapped what is happening in the first episodes.

But still, the main thing is that the human drama itself is not lost in the series, since it is it that allows the viewer to take what is happening seriously. And in this regard, both HBO with the ability to shoot straight and hard, and the main actors, so beloved by the public, seem to be fine.