Netflix's Strangers - What We Know So Far
Stories about teenage girls with dark hidden secrets have long been a hot commodity in Hollywood. Look no further than the 1989 dark comedy "Heathers" as a perfect example of this. More recently, shows like "Dare Me," "Cruel Summer," and "Euphoria" have shone a dramatized light on the disturbing cultural expectations that often drive young women to make what may seem like dangerous, risky decisions in the first place. One thing is for sure: The darker impulses of teenagers will continue to be a strong sub-genre for years to come.
Another twisted teen comedy is on its way, courtesy of Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. You may remember Robinson's feature directorial debut "Someone Great," starring Gina Rodriguez as a woman determined to enjoy one last night in New York City with her best friends after a terrible breakup and before a big move. Now, Robinson is directing "Strangers," a Netflix Original film about two teenage girls who agree to take revenge upon each other's bullies.
Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming movie.
Who's in the cast of Strangers?
As confirmed by Deadline, Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke will star in "Strangers," with Mendes playing "alpha" it-girl Drew and Hawke portraying "beta" alt-girl Eleanor. Another A-list star will also appear in the film. According to a June 2021 report from Deadline, "Game of Thrones" alum Sophie Turner will have a small role in "Strangers." This will be one of Turner's first roles since the massive HBO fantasy series concluded its run in 2019.
Hawke recently appeared in Gia Coppola's 2021 film "Mainstream," as well as in the 2020 Showtime historical TV series "The Good Lord Bird." Mendes currently stars as Veronica Lodge in the CW's teen drama "Riverdale," which is currently in its 5th season, and had another recent role in the 2020 Hulu romantic comedy "Palm Springs." Interestingly, both actresses have established relationships with Netflix: Mendes has starred in the streamer's 2019 rom-com "The Perfect Date" and 2020 thriller "Dangerous Lies," while Hawke stars as Robin in the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things."
What's the release date for Strangers?
When exactly "Strangers" will arrive on Netflix is largely dependent on the two lead actresses' schedules, as well as director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's availability. As of July 2021, Hawke is still filming "Stranger Things" Season 4 (though star David Harbour told Jimmy Kimmel that shooting would likely wrap in August), while Mendes could be slated to begin filming "Riverdale" Season 6 later in 2021.
Meanwhile, Robinson is quite busy in Hollywood herself. Alongside director Taika Waititi, she co-wrote the upcoming Marvel film "Thor: Love and Thunder," which wrapped filming in June 2021 (via Entertainment Weekly). She's also executive-producing and directing the pilot of a new CW dark comedy series called "Obsessed" (per Deadline), as well as working on a TV adaptation of the teen dance film "Center Stage" (via Deadline).
That being said, there's a good chance the trio could film "Strangers" later in the summer or early fall of 2021, after Hawke finishes filming "Stranger Things" but before Mendes might be called back to "Riverdale." In that event, expect the film to arrive sometime in 2022 at the earliest.
What's the plot of Strangers?
The official logline for "Strangers" describes it as "a subverted Hitchcock-ian dark comedy featuring the scariest protagonists of all: teenage girls" (via Netflix). The film follows Camila Mendes' Drew and Maya Hawke's Eleanor, two girls who team up to take on each other's bullies after a "clandestine meet-cute."
Further plot details are currently unavailable, but it's possible to guess a bit more about the film's plot by looking at the media that influenced it. Variety reports that "Strangers" was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 psychological thriller "Strangers on a Train." In that film, a man named Guy (Farley Granger) strikes up a conversation with fellow train passenger Bruno (Robert Walker), admitting he's angry at his soon-to-be ex-wife's refusal to divorce him so he can marry someone new. This inadvertently inspires Bruno to kill Guy's wife, leading Guy to kill Bruno's father.
Viewers will have to wait and see how Jennifer Kaytin Robinso puts her own spin on this twisted tale, but hopefully the resulting film will be worth the wait.