Perfect Stranger

Perfect Stranger tells the story of journalist Rowena Price (Halley Berry) who attempts to investigate the death of her estranged childhood friend Grace. More than anything, Rowena’s motives aren’t purely to avenge Grace’s death, but more of an attempt to bring a powerful man to trial. With the help of her friend Miles Haley (Giovanni Ribisi), she goes undercover as a temp staff at advertising tycoon’s Harrison Hill’s (Bruce Willis) agency; who seems to be the prime suspect to her friend’s murder. Along the way, she takes on different personas to find different ways to reveal Hill’s secret, but discovers that there is more to him than meets the eye. Like the movie’s tagline, “How Far Would You Go To Keep A Secret?” audiences slowly learn about Rowena’s abusive history, and why she is the person she is today. With an A-list cast and a storyline that was supposed to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, it’s hard to nail down where Perfect Stranger went wrong. Berry gives a strong performance but falters in the middle of movie, when her character frustrates any attempts to make heads or tails out of her. Which leaves a lot of room for co-star Ribisi to overshadow Berry with his stronger screen presence. At the end of the film, not only are audiences left weary with the film’s indefinite twists, but also slapped with an ending that’s weak and unmemorable.

Director James Foley Cast Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi Runtime 109 minutes Opens 23 August

Text Jolyn Thong Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros