There's something deeply messed up about watching people grieve through a screen. That's the first thought that hit me while watching the Stranger Eyes trailer. Not because I'm particularly sensitive (I've seen Funny Games too many times for that), but because this one doesn't play it safe. It leans in — into dread, into discomfort, and into that sickly voyeurism we've all grown way too numb to.
This is Yeo Siew Hua's latest offering — a slow-burn thriller out of Singapore that premiered at Venice in 2024, made pit stops at New York and London, and is now finally crawling into U.S. theaters on August 29th, 2025, via Film Movement. You probably missed it the first time around, and honestly, that might work in its favor. Because Stranger Eyes isn't built for hype. It's built for unease.
Let's run the basics first. A couple's baby disappears. The police? Useless. Then the real horror starts: someone — some creeper — starts sending them DVDs. Not ransom notes, not threats. Just footage. Footage of their lives, filmed from inside their home. It's not just scary. It's invasive in that quiet, rotting way that eats away at your gut.
And of course, in classic post-Cache fashion, the act of watching becomes the real narrative. Is the camera the villain? Or the mirror?
Yeo — the guy behind A Land Imagined — isn't exactly new to paranoia. But this time, he trades neon dreamscapes for cold, grainy analog. The footage in the trailer looks like it was shot through dust, filtered through grief. And casting Lee Kang-sheng (yes, Tsai Ming-liang's muse) is no accident. That man's face could haunt a windowpane.
Critics in Venice were… divided. Some loved the mood, others wanted more payoff. Fair. This isn't a crowd-pleaser. It's not even a crowd-challenger. It's more like a whispered dare. Watch this — and feel watched.
There's a scene in the trailer — blink and you'll miss it — where a man (presumably our lead, played by Wu Chien-ho) stares back into a security cam. Not scared. Not angry. Just… hollow. That stare stuck with me more than any jump scare could.
Here's the twist — and yeah, there's always a twist — the voyeur? He's not some monstrous villain. He's… well, let's just say the line between victim and watcher gets blurrier the longer this thing rolls.
So yeah, if you're into slick spy tech and Jason Bourne punch-outs, this ain't it. But if you liked Cache, Rear Window, or even the lo-fi dread of Red Road, this one might worm its way under your skin.
Stranger Eyes hits select U.S. theaters on August 29, 2025. Watch the trailer here — or don't, if you're squeamish about your webcam suddenly feeling like it's blinking.
Worth It?
Not for everyone. But if you've got the patience for mood over motion, and you don't mind staring into someone else's nightmare… it's worth a peek.
