Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) works as a clerk at an office in Algiers during the French colonial occupation. A modest man who keeps to himself, Meursault finds his routine upended by the sudden death of his mother. At her funeral, he faces scrutiny from all corners for his failure to perform his grief. Meursault’s reputation for otherworldly detachment carries over to all aspects of his life, from his tentative romance with Marie (Rebecca Marder) to his indifference to professional advancement. As Meursault gets swept up in a cycle of escalating reprisals among his neighbors, tensions come to a head when he murders an Arab man on the beach. A Frenchman may offer many defenses for shooting an Arab in Algeria, but Meursault’s refusal of excuse or remorse shakes colonial society to its core.

Photographed in sterling, sensuous black-and-white, François Ozon’s new take on Albert Camus’s classic novel of existentialist ennui is a landmark of adaptation, simultaneously faithful to the text and dedicated to discovering fresh perspectives in the margins.

“Bold and Beautiful -- a feast of sights, sounds and existential turmoil” - Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter

“One of Ozon’s richest and most satisfying works in years - that rarest of literary adaptations, one that honors a foundational text precisely by finding something new to say” - Ben Croll, The Wrap

“Incredibly stylish, a shimmering monochrome affair” - Damon Wise, Deadline

“Confounding, disturbing and yet icily compelling ... Benjamin Voisin delivers a superb portrait of disaffection in a bracingly lossless transfer of book to screen that relishes the novel's menace and mystery ... ” - Jessica Kiang, Variety

“François Ozon’s insightful re-reading of Camus’ classic novella explores themes of queerness and Algerian identity ... Vividly evocative of the world it depicts, and irreducibly an Ozon film.” - Jonathan Romney, Sight & Sound

“The most faithful, hypnotically evocative version. Shot in elegant black-and-white by Manuel Dacosse, The Stranger has a timeless look, a dream-like quality that keeps one on their toes.” - Zhou-Ning Su, The Film Stage