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. 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. It was released digitally by BayView Entertainment on April 30, 2024.
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. It drew largely positive notices from genre critics, who particularly praised Oberst's performance.
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isolated woodland house in the United States to make a documentary about Victor Browning, a former taxi driver who has withdrawn from society for decades.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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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. It screened at the 2024 Chicago Horror Film Festival in Chicago on May 4, 2024, presented as a Bill Oberst Jr. double feature, and at the 10th Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 14, 2024.
BayView Entertainment released the film for digital purchase, video on demand and subscription streaming on April 30, 2024. A Blu-ray edition followed on July 30, 2024. The film later became available on advertising-supported and subscription platforms including Tubi and Plex.
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.
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.
Romey Norton of Film Focus Online described the film as "a smart, slow-burning take on found footage horror". 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. 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.
PopHorror published two reviews. Stef Harrison described the film as maintaining "a sense of dread around every corner", while a second review called it "a compelling narrative" exploring isolation and secrecy.
Accolades Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Chicago Horror Film Festival 2024 Best Horror Feature Best Actor (Feature) Bill Oberst Jr. Best Psychopath Bill Oberst Jr. The Shawna Shea Film Festival 2024 Outstanding Performance Bill Oberst Jr. Best Horror Feature Best International Feature Best Director József Gallai Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival 2024 Best Actor Bill Oberst Jr. Best Feature Best Director József Gallai Best Actress Laura Ellen Wilson Best Score Dane E. Connor and Eric Ziegmont Haunted House FearFest 2024 The Grim Reaper Award (Best of the Fest) Best Horror Feature Best Director József Gallai Best Actor in a Drama Bill Oberst Jr. Best Actress in a Drama Laura Ellen Wilson Shockfest Film Festival 2024 Honorary mention Sacred Crypt Awards 2025 Best Feature Film Best Horror Lead Bill Oberst Jr. Best Horror Support Laura Ellen Wilson Best Horror Director József Gallai
References