Synopsis:
A bored office worker abandons her old life and joins an enigmatic competition to win a car. Locked in a room with four strangers, she goes through a series of challenges led by an intriguing host named Homunculus.
Review:
Stanleyville is 2022’s best psychological thriller this far. It will remind you of films such as The Experiment, and The Stanford Prison Experiment. As well as the new Apple TV+ series Severance. It’s a mind-bending good time at the movies. I watched it two times already this year, it is that good. I wish it would have gotten a wider release in cinemas as it needs to be seen with an unsuspecting crowd.
Susanne Wuest and Julian Richings give flat-out amazing performances, that deserve to be taken about amongst genre fans. Their command of the screen presence reminds me of the surprising turn of Sasha Grey in Would You Rather. Just nonchalant aggressiveness yet enough passiveness to intrigue the audience members in thinking about what the heck is going here throughout the film and does she knows what is going on secretly.
Stanleyville is already one of those films you can watch multiple times to see if you can pick up on little clues here and there throughout the film. The cast is perfect for their characters and objectives. It’s a wild film that will please many of its viewers.
Overall Grade: 3/5 stars
