When Strangers Appear

"Don't serve coffee to strangers."

2001 1h 38m EN

😐

6.2

MID

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 62★6.3IMDB · 3,258

ThrillerActionMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A man enters a roadside diner run by a young woman and claims he is being chased by murderers.

“Don't serve coffee to strangers.”

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Cast

Radha Mitchell
Beth
Josh Lucas
Peter
Barry Watson
Jack Barrett
Kevin Anderson
Bryce
Jonathan Blick
Stephen
Eryn Wilson
Roger
Michael Lowe
Bernie
Steven Ray
Dr. Eric Leonard

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Scott Reynolds
Writers: Scott Reynolds
Languages: English
Countries: New Zealand

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roger Mason. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Wayne Cook shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Radha Mitchell and Josh Lucas and Barry Watson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Don't serve coffee to strangers.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0243554 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Scott Reynolds directs. Roger Mason scores. Wayne Cook cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in New Zealand. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by Roger Mason. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Wayne Cook shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Radha Mitchell and Josh Lucas and Barry Watson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Don't serve coffee to strangers.".
8IMDB entry: tt0243554 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 62 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Original score: Roger Mason
Editing: Wayne Cook
Production design: John Girdlestone
Costume design: Michael Wilkinson
Makeup / hair: Cassie Hanlon
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: When Strangers Appear (2001)
IMDB rating: 6.3/10 · 3,258 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

Scott Reynolds

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Community reviews

What people are saying

dennyjt2022-08-31
★ 5/10
Mitchell runs a desert (and deserted) diner and a rundown motel. Beat-up and terrified Watson wanders in, and by helping him, she riles up the people that are looking for him. Lucas and two sidekicks turn up and he initially acts friendly, especially when that nice doctor is hacked to death but perhaps he has an ulterior motive. Explosive ironical climax. Set in Texas but shot in New Zealand, this has a rugged look.

Production companies