A Stranger in the Woods

A Stranger in the Woods
Promotional release poster
Directed byJózsef Gallai
Written byJózsef Gallai
Story by
  • József Gallai
  • Beáta Boldog
Produced by
  • Tracy Allen
  • Beáta Boldog
  • József Gallai
  • Tommy Lentsch
  • Roxanne Rix
  • Eric Ziegmont
Starring
Production
companies
  • McClurg Productions
  • Nguyen Bros. Production
  • Elekes Pictures
  • Rix Cafe Texican
  • Lentsch Productions
Distributed byBayView Entertainment
Release date
  • April 30, 2024 (2024-04-30)
Running time
83 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Hungary
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

A Stranger in the Woods is a 2024 American found footage horror film written and directed by József Gallai, from a story by Gallai and Beáta Boldog.[2][3] It stars Bill Oberst Jr. as a reclusive man living alone in the woods and Laura Ellen Wilson as a film student who travels to document his life, with Lynn Lowry in a supporting role.[4][2] It was released digitally by BayView Entertainment on April 30, 2024.[5]

The film screened as part of the official lineup at the 2024 Haunted House FearFest, where it won five awards including the festival's top prize.[6][7][8] It drew largely positive notices from genre critics, who particularly praised Oberst's performance.[4][2][9]

Plot

Edith, a British film student, travels to an isolated woodland house in the United States to make a documentary about Victor Browning, a former taxi driver who has withdrawn from society for decades. The two form a rapport, and it emerges that Edith has suffered tragedies of her own. As her stay continues, Victor's behaviour grows increasingly erratic and details of his past begin to surface, and their relationship turns.[4][3][10]

Cast

  • Bill Oberst Jr. as Victor Browning
  • Laura Ellen Wilson as Edith
  • Lynn Lowry as Edith's grandmother
  • Shawn Michael Clankie as Professor Gregory
  • József Gallai as Peter
  • Scott Cassin
  • Marvin Maddicks Jr.
  • Fountainblue Tielman
  • Tracy Allen

Production

Gallai co-wrote the screenplay with Beáta Boldog, his wife.[11] The pair began developing the story around a larger group of characters, set it aside during the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to it at the end of 2022, narrowing the focus to Victor and Edith.[11] Gallai chose the found footage format to approach the sub-genre differently from his earlier films, citing Willow Creek and Creep as stylistic influences and describing the film as a character study that emphasises atmosphere over jump scares.[11] Filming was completed in December 2023, and Gallai described the result as "basically a one-location film", a format he had not worked in much before.[12]

Special makeup effects were by Kamilla Mira Kovács, with Bálint Szántó as script supervisor, Dániel Vince as weapons master and Sándor Gál as trailer editor. András Babodi, Gergő Elekes and Bálint Szántó worked as still photographers.[13] The soundtrack features four songs by Eric Ziegmont's State of Shock ("Showdown (Down Ya Go)", "Our Love Is Gone", "Watch Your Mouth" and "Hard for the Heart"), along with "Two Ghost Town" by Dane E. Connor.[13]

Release

The film was included in the official film and television lineup for the 2024 Haunted House FearFest, held in October 2024 at the Triad Theatre in New York City.[6][7] It screened at the 2024 Chicago Horror Film Festival in Chicago on May 4, 2024, presented as a Bill Oberst Jr. double feature,[14] and at the 10th Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 14, 2024.[15]

BayView Entertainment released the film for digital purchase, video on demand and subscription streaming on April 30, 2024.[5][16] A Blu-ray edition followed on July 30, 2024.[17] The film later became available on advertising-supported and subscription platforms including Tubi and Plex.[18][19]

Reception

Writing for Dread Central, David Gelmini said Oberst "delivers one of the best performances of his career", describing the actor's work as subtle and unsettling and calling the film's deliberate pace effective in developing the relationship between the two leads. He also praised Wilson's portrayal of Edith.[4]

Terry Sherwood of Film Threat called the film "a gripping experience despite some minor shortcomings", noting that Oberst's performance and appearance evoke Max Schreck and reading the story as a retelling of the opening of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Sherwood praised the isolated setting and the leads' chemistry, but criticised a sequence of police body camera footage as tonally jarring and found the ending rushed.[2]

Romey Norton of Film Focus Online described the film as "a smart, slow-burning take on found footage horror".[9] Michael Li of Film Purgatory and Jim McLennan of Film Blitz both highlighted the atmosphere and pacing while noting the deliberate slowness of the first two acts.[20][21] Surya Komal of Just for Movie Freaks and a reviewer for Nerdly also assessed the film, the latter in a review of its video-on-demand release.[22][23]

PopHorror published two reviews. Stef Harrison described the film as maintaining "a sense of dread around every corner",[10] while a second review called it "a compelling narrative" exploring isolation and secrecy.[24]

Accolades

AwardYearCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Chicago Horror Film Festival2024Best Horror FeatureFilmNominated[25][26]
Best Actor (Feature)Bill Oberst Jr.Nominated[25][26]
Best PsychopathBill Oberst Jr.Nominated[25][26]
The Shawna Shea Film Festival2024Outstanding PerformanceBill Oberst Jr.Won[27]
Best Horror FeatureFilmNominated[28]
Best International FeatureFilmNominated[28]
Best DirectorJózsef GallaiNominated[28]
Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival2024Best ActorBill Oberst Jr.Won[29][30]
Best FeatureFilmNominated[31][30]
Best DirectorJózsef GallaiNominated[31][30]
Best ActressLaura Ellen WilsonNominated[31][30]
Best ScoreDane E. Connor and Eric ZiegmontNominated[31][30]
Haunted House FearFest2024The Grim Reaper Award (Best of the Fest)FilmWon[8]
Best Horror FeatureFilmWon[8]
Best DirectorJózsef GallaiWon[8]
Best Actor in a DramaBill Oberst Jr.Won[8]
Best Actress in a DramaLaura Ellen WilsonWon[8]
Shockfest Film Festival2024Honorary mentionFilmWon[32]
Sacred Crypt Awards2025Best Feature FilmFilmNominated[33]
Best Horror LeadBill Oberst Jr.Nominated[33]
Best Horror SupportLaura Ellen WilsonNominated[33]
Best Horror DirectorJózsef GallaiNominated[33]

References

  1. ↑ "A Stranger in the Woods". Apple TV. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sherwood, Terry (18 March 2025). "A Stranger in the Woods". Film Threat. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "A Stranger in the Woods 2024 mystery horror drama". Movies and Mania. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gelmini, David (28 January 2025). "'A Stranger In The Woods' Review: Bill Oberst Jr. Delivers One Of His Finest Performances To Date". Dread Central. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 Prange, Stephanie (23 April 2024). "Horror Flick 'A Stranger in the Woods' Due Digitally April 30 From BayView". Media Play News. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Haunted House FearFest Announces 2024 Film and Television Lineup". PopHorror. 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Haunted House FearFest Announces 2024 Film & Television Lineup". Horror News Network. 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Stranger in the Woods takes it all: five wins at the Haunted House FearFest". Instagram. A Stranger in the Woods. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 Norton, Romey (26 August 2025). "'A Stranger in the Woods' Review: A Smart, Slow-Burning Take on Found Footage Horror". Film Focus Online. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 Harrison, Stef (3 March 2024). "Jozsef Gallai's A Stranger in the Woods (2024) Movie Review". PopHorror. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 Rogers, Philip (19 December 2024). "Exclusive Horror-on-Sea interview with 'A Stranger in the Woods' co-writer-director József Gallai". Blazing Minds. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Meet József Gallai". CanvasRebel. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  13. 1 2 József Gallai (director) (2024). A Stranger in the Woods (Motion picture). BayView Entertainment. Event occurs at Closing credits.
  14. ↑ "May Film Schedule: 2024 Official Selection". Chicago Horror Film Festival. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "2024 Fest: Official Selection and schedule". Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "József Gallai's A Stranger in the Woods branches out to Digital Platforms on 30th April 2024". Horror Screams Video Vault. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "A Stranger in the Woods (Blu-ray) (2024)". OLDIES.com. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "A Stranger in the Woods streaming". JustWatch. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "A Stranger in the Woods". Tubi. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Li, Michael (3 August 2024). "A Stranger in the Woods (2024) Review". Film Purgatory. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  21. ↑ McLennan, Jim (30 November 2024). "A Stranger in the Woods (2024)". Film Blitz. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Komal, Surya (15 May 2025). "A Stranger in the Woods (2024) Review: Whispers in the Dark!". Just for Movie Freaks. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "A Stranger in the Woods VOD Review". Nerdly. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Exploring A Stranger in the Woods (2024): Weird Secrets and Isolation". PopHorror. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 "3 nominations at the 25th Chicago Horror Film Festival". Instagram. A Stranger in the Woods. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 "Congratulations to team A Stranger in the Woods on three noms in the 2024 Chicago Horror Film Festival". Facebook. Bill Oberst Jr. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "SSFF 2024 Award Winners". Shawna Shea Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 "SSFF 2024 Nominations". Shawna Shea Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Bill Oberst Jr. has won Best Actor at the 10th Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival". Instagram. A Stranger in the Woods. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival 2024 award and nomination laurels for A Stranger in the Woods". Facebook. Bill Oberst Jr. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Five nominations at the 10th Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival". Instagram. A Stranger in the Woods. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "Honorary mention at the Shockfest 2024 Film Festival". Instagram. A Stranger in the Woods. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 4 "Special Report: Voting Now Open for the Sacred Crypt Awards". Uncomfortably Dark. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
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