Traditional as it may be, this postwar thriller is unmistakably Wellesian (not least because of the obsession with clocks).

| Apr 3, 2023

The creators of this one deserve their acclaim.

| Jul 4, 2022

Welles sears his film's place in our minds because he refuses to reduce Nazis to cartoonish movie villains; he reminds us that his story has a potent reality, and he forces us to see it.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 26, 2022

Propelled by its intriguing, Oscar-nominated story.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 19, 2021

Again demonstrates Welles' infatuation with flawed men and impossible redemption.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 15, 2020

The noir ambience and use of ominous shadow is to the fore, and there are some gripping sequences that also have a touch of gallows humour about them.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 31, 2020

[Welles] has performed a leading role sensibly and directed the whole in a manner which proves he is the master of a number of effective cinematic tricks.

| Sep 4, 2019

They are backed by a smooth production, of brains and taste, and by a script that skillfully conceals the gaping holes in its mesh of intrigue.

| Mar 15, 2019

The Stranger holds up incredibly well and serves as a reminder that Welles could craft a visual narrative unlike anyone else of his era, truly redefining cinema as we know it to this day.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 31, 2018

Film noir thriller, made with typical Welles creativity and visual style.

| Aug 22, 2014

Welles might not have had control in the editing room, but he indulged his penchant for long takes with the able assistance of ace cinematographer Russell Metty,

| Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 5, 2013

Adroitly directed by Orson Welles, who also plays the star, it is a grade A gooseflesh-raiser.

| Mar 12, 2013

Welles is so technically proficient that even his second-tier works are well worth seeking out, and The Stranger belongs to this category.

| Original Score: 69/100 | Feb 15, 2010

Excellent post-war thriller, via Orson Welles.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 11, 2008

Full of bizarre shots and fascinating little moments.

| Aug 9, 2007

As distinctively Wellesian as Citizen Kane.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 22, 2007

Orson Welles's 1946 film reproduces his personal themes of self-scrutiny and self-destruction only in outline, though it is an inventive, highly enjoyable thriller.

| Apr 6, 2007

The Stranger is socko melodrama, spinning an intriguing web of thrills and chills.

| Apr 6, 2007

One of Welles' most conventional films: His fans don't like it because it's too plot-driven and linear but that was his goal, wishing to prove that he could make a mainstream film after the brilliant but failures, Citizen Kane and Magnificent Ambersons.

| Original Score: B | Feb 9, 2007

The most restrained and conventional of Welles's films, but still a thrilling entertainment.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Aug 29, 2006