In an abandoned secondary road, Beth (Radha Mitchell) owns a diner and a motel inherited from her father. Every day she needs to walk on a lonely road from the hotel to the diner. One day, when she opens her diner, the starving and moneyless Jack Barrett (Barry Watson) arrives, and she serves a free meal to him. Soon three surfers - Peter (Josh Lucas), who is the leader, Stephen (Johnny Blick) and Roger (Eryn Wilson) - arrive at the diner and Jack hides himself in the kitchen. The trio asks for meal and Peter is nice with Beth. When they leave the place, Beth talks to Jack and takes him to a room in her motel. She finds that he is stabbed on the belly and drives him to her only friend in town, Dr. Eric Leonard (Steven Ray). She does not want to call the local Sheriff Bryce (Kevin Anderson), who raped her in the past, but when Dr. Leonard records a strange message in her answering machine, she calls Bryce and asks him to investigate his clinic. Bryce sees a notice saying that the clinic will be closed for a few days, and he does not enter the clinic. Beth meets Peter and asks him to go with her to the clinic, where they see blood everywhere and Dr. Leonard and Jack missing. When she sees Jack, he tells her that Peter and his friends killed Dr. Leonard and will kill them. Who is telling the truth?
"When Strangers Appear" (2001) is still a good thriller when revisited more than twenty-years later. The screenplay keeps Beth and the viewer without knowing who is telling the truth and the content of the CD. Despite the low budget, the film by Scott Reynolds is great since the cast is excellent. The music score is also top-notch. After the credits, there is a disappointing footage that I have seen only today. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Quando Estranhos Chegam" ("When Strangers Arrive")
