User Reviews

In the beginning it feels like something is missing but in the end you will know why. It's a small production and has the feel of a USA movie even with the director's attempt to give it a more gritty texture. I was put off at the start because of the acting, however, the acting and the story both continue to improve as the movie nears the conclusion. The story is told well and keeps all of it's secrets quiet until the right moments. I am not going to slam this movie because lets face it, it was not meant to be a blockbuster but it really did surprise me. This is not one to buy, but it is certainly worth watching. Just make sure you stick with it all the way to the end. Not bad at all.

Someone Else Mentioned "Heathers" that is a good comparison for this movie

While waiting for their flight in a bar of an airport, the writer Donovan Miller (Todd Field) tells the story of his best-seller to a stranger to kill time. In Lake City, Violet Madison (Natascha Gregson Wagner), Austin Walker (Todd Field), Emma Scarlett (Dina Meyer) and Jared Roth (Mackenzie Astin) are good friends. After going together to a bar, Jared comes wounded to Austin's apartment in the late night and confesses that he is gay and has just killed a man in his apartment. He asks to his friends to help him to vanish with the body of the victim. The group agrees, and after many incidents, Violet stresses, jeopardizing the group. Many secrets are disclosed along this surprisingly good thriller, with lots of plot points and black humor. The story, including its presentation, is very original and enjoyable. In some moments, I recalled the magnificent "Shallow Grave" and "Mystery Date". This unknown movie deserves to be discovered in the rentals or in the stores. When you think that there is no more surprises in the screenplay, the plot has another twist. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Calafrio!" ("Chill!")

I didn't have any expectations about this movie, so it was a nice surprise. Four friends end up with having to dispose of a body and things turn nasty. The acting is not exactly brilliant but you can live with that. It starts of as sort of a black comedy, well that is the best way I can describe it, and it takes all kinds of twists and turns towards the end. It's just good solid entertainment. If you like this one I would also recommend Shallow Grave (1995).

For the first hour and fifteen minutes of this film I kept thinking, "Wow, what a gem! I am so glad I found this movie." The movie was unexpectedly funny, the situation engaging and the director was skilled at creating a consistent tone for this black comedy. At around the hour-and-fifteen-minute point the plot seemed to come to a close and I was ready for the credits to roll. However at that point the movie took an infuriating turn. Not only did it completely change in tone - from comedy to high drama - but it introduced plot elements that, without being specific, negated much of what I had just seen.

Plot aside, why a movie's creators would want a film to be so funny for the first two acts and so deliberately unfunny for the third act is bewildering to me.

If movie sets up at the outset that it is a mystery, and then does something really twisty at the end you can enjoy it. But the movie did not prepare me for how it resolved and so I felt cheated out of a great comedy. "No Way Out" with Kevin Costner does a similar thing in the last one minute of the film. My recommendation is that you watch this for the first two third and then hit the stop button.

You will have a great time.

This movie is about mob behavior in a mob of only four.Very original movie about four friends who move from situation to situation with a murder being the solution. Of course the situations are contrived but isn't "tongue in cheek" always so. Still very much worth watching for its originality and acting.

This is a film that draws you as it begins as a bar story and progresses into a wonderfully complex story as one situation spins out of control. A worthwhile rental or even a good purchase for a collection. The characters are complex and diverse and play off each other well. A similar film is Shallow Grave a British Import from 1994 or the great American Film, The Usual Suspects.

The first two thirds of "Stranger Than Fiction" is one movie, and the last third seems like an entirely different film. The first part I believe is intended as black comedy, but fails to impress. The reason the dark comedy doesn't work is the four main characters are all unlikeable. In addition, the acting is sub par, with many lines being delivered so fast that comprehension is impossible. The last third is very contrived and all believability flies out the window, with the viewer left holding the bag. This is nothing more than an over stylized, failed black comedy. I recommend watching " A Simple Plan", if you want to see a good dark comedy wrapped around friendship and murder. Skip this one for sure. - MERK

Dina Meyer wipes the table clean with much more effective acting than Denise Richards in a simular film by the plot Wild Things. Audience believes truly in the situation at hand, until it completely flips around. STF does not bore at any time. Excellent entertainment! Highly recommended to anyone not willing to know the ending by a lucky guess.

This is the first time I have felt incensed enough to write a review. This film takes a new genre, successfully done in films like 'Best Laid Plans' and 'Go', and copies everything done so far. And the 'twist', oh come on! I saw that coming the day before I watched the movie.

In short, if you haven't already seen Go, then Go see that instead of this piece of crap.

Ok, well I caught this film at like 4:30 in the morning on Cinemax and I wasn't expecting much..Not that you can necessarily trust the ratings assigned to movies, but this one got 1 star.So I am thinking its probably gonna bore me to death...Well I missed the first 5 minutes or so, but from there on I found myself quite engrossed in the movie..It has its flaws and at times it does become a little contrived, but overall I found it to be a prety decent movie..Very well-acted, it has the always beautiful Dina Meyer which certainly doesn't hurt, and the twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout..The end of the movie as one of the other reviewers on here stated is done quite strange, but done for a reason to show exactly why things unfolded the way they did. Choose "Stranger Than Fiction" as a rental one night, go into it with an open mind, and I think you will find this one to be a pretty good ride. On a scale of 4 stars, I give this one a 2.5

Stranger Than Fiction is aptly title. It is an outstanding movie with a little bad acting, but it is good enough to keep from ruining the movie. It is a great entertaining movie with more twists than a medium sized roller coaster. Sometimes the actors in the movie will irritate you with their constant screaming about something they just did, when they are in some kind of private place. It is a pretty funny movie. I saw it on TV and the information said it was a Thriller with lots of plot twists. But they did not say how extremely funny this movie really is. If you love thrillers, and spur of the moment type comedy, you will love this movie. 8/10

This movie is definitely one of my favorites it's a twisted movie with awesome plot and alot of crazy and messed up people. So i recommended this movie if you like good thriller movies and if you like twisted movies. Bottom line : This is an awesome movie with a good plot and awesome ending.

I rented this because it seemed original and had a potentially good story. I wasn't sure what the story really was all about, but I was in a rush, and needed something quick.

Maybe I should have slowed down a bit....

First, my customary plot summary. (Past reviews of mine usually follow the same format. Not like you care, but that doesn't matter. You've read my comment and now you can't unread it....I'm sorry, I'm drifting.) Anyhow!! The story starts in an airport bar with an author talking with a man next to him. They start talking about his writing, and his recent book, "Stranger Than Fiction." Then he starts to delve into the story, which is, basically, about four twenty-somethings that get involved in a murder, and the perilous downward spiral their lives go in as an effect. It goes deeper than that, much deeper, but I'll spare you all the details, only because I rambled enough before and am catching myself doing it again.

As for my reactions...Well, the movie didn't thrill me. First of all, it was way too long for such a plotline. And as for the plotline...well, I couldn't figure out at all where this movie was going! It starts as a "thrust into treachery" sort of tale, but then it starts to get funny. Some of the humor is appropriate, but if this isn't a comedy...then it didn't fit. But then, it gets into this thriller-comedy-drama thing, and really gets confusing. By then, I was starting to get tired and figured the end was near. But then it gets twisted, then dramatic--then goes into this Part Two that seemed totally tacked on! It was almost like the "Part Two" seemed to be one of a few choices to be the last 30% of the movie. I don't know, it was just getting too contrived then, and sort of tense, but by then, I gave up on this one. There are a few good things. Good acting, effective music, an obvious-yet-not twist in the end (though, the cast list gives it away a little bit) and the way the movie would go into the alternate, film-negative sort of look was creative. But didn't save this messy film.

Check it out for originality, but I hate to say that it really isn't that good. So, you be the judge.

The story is entertaining although the movie is not very strong. Probably due to lack of experience it misses something. Strong acting for one thing. But the thing that bothered me the most is that they didn't try to make an ongoing story of it. Some things aren't explained in the movie itself but by a narrator who has to tie some loose ends together in the end to finish the story That is what i think is very cheap and non professional.

This movie gave me the impression that they had a four hour television series and tried to cut into 100 minutes to make a movie out of it. They failed!

But after all these negative things it is time to name some good sides. The twists are very nice and also the reaction of the different characters when they get deeper in deeper in the sh*t. And it is not some standard Hollywood action movie you have seen millions of times before.

rating: 3 out of 5