Netflix Just Dropped the Tense Trailer for True Crime-Inspired Australian Thriller 'The Stranger'

In front of the camera, Thomas M Wright's first credit came courtesy of Round the Twist. Two decades later, he has roles on everything from The Secret Life of Us, Top of the Lake and The Bridge through to Van Diemen's Land, Balibo, Everest and Sweet Country to his name. But since hopping behind the lens in 2018, the Australian actor-turned-filmmaker has proven one of the country's most fascinating new directors — first with Acute Misfortune and now with the upcoming The Stranger.

That initial helming stint saw Wright take on the story of artist Adam Cullen and journalist Erik Jensen, after the latter was invited to stay with the former in 2008 to turn his life story into a biography. One of the most stunning recent Aussie filmmaking debuts, Acute Misfortune not only explored its subject in a riveting warts-and-all fashion, but also interrogated the nation's fascination with festering masculinity — and yes, it truly was something special.

Premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, then set to arrive in Australian cinemas on October 6 before hitting Netflix around the globe on October 19, The Stranger also draws from reality — from the effort to apprehend the person responsible for Daniel Morcombe's abduction and murder.

That said, this isn't a recreation or a dramatisation. If you didn't know about the ties to reality going in, or even before pressing play on the just-dropped new trailer, you probably wouldn't pick it — even with lines like "this is the largest missing person's case in the history of our state and is one of the largest in the history of our country".

Crucially, The Stranger isn't about the crime, but focuses on the undercover operation to bring the perpetrator to justice. Joel Edgerton (Thirteen Lives) stars as Mark, who goes undercover to befriend drifter Henry (Sean Harris, Spencer) — first striking up a conversation while travelling, with Henry unaware of Mark's true identity and motives.

While fictionalised, The Stranger joins Australia's growing list of unsurprisingly tense films unpacking dark chapters in the nation's past, such as Chopper, Snowtown and Nitram.

Check out the trailer for The Stranger below:

The Stranger will release in Australian cinemas on October 6, and stream Down Under via Netflix from October 19.