“My ears hear what others cannot hear. Small, faraway things people cannot normally see are visible to me. These senses are the fruits of a lifetime of longing. Longing to be rescued. To be completed…
Just as the skirt needs the wind to billow…I’m not formed by things that are of myself alone. I wear my father’s belt tied around my mother’s blouse. And shoes which are from my uncle. This is me.
Just as a flower does not choose it’s color…we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free. And to become adult…is to become free.”

It is India Stoker’s 18th birthday and she heads to the tree where her birthday gift is usually placed. However, instead of the usual saddle shoes, the yellow ribbon-tied box contains a brass key. She hears screaming from inside the house and rushes to see what has happened. India (Mia Wasikowska) learns that her father has been killed in a gruesome car accident. She had always been a daddy’s girl and the two of them went hunting all the time—her stuffed trophies adorn the family’s home. Now India only has her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), and the two are barely on speaking terms. India doesn’t really have any friends—she only leaves the house to go to school. Otherwise she is either playing the piano or talking with the house cook Mrs. McGarrick (Phyllis Somerville).

At the reception following Richard Stoker’s funeral, a surprise guest, India’s uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) arrives and announces his plans to stay with the Stokers. India didn’t even know her father had any brothers, while Mrs. McGarrick recognized Charlie and looked frightened to see him. India sees Mrs. McGarrick arguing with Charlie, and the next morning she has mysteriously disappeared. When Richard’s Aunt Gwendolyn (Jacki Weaver) comes to visit, she too, appears spooked by Charlie. Who is this man, and why has he suddenly come to see his niece?

Stoker is a beautifully crafted psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat while watching the film, but really shows its brilliance once you reflect on it after the film ends. The narration that opens the film (quoted above) doesn’t make a whole lot of sense before you watch the movie, but is the perfect summation afterwards.

When Uncle Charlie arrives at the Stoker home, we know something is wrong based on the reactions of people who know him&mash’;they all seem a bit scared or uneasy, which makes the viewer feel the same. Who is this mysterious man and what dark secret is he hiding?

Stoker is also a coming of age story, but certainly not in a typical way. India has just turned 18 but in order to truly be an adult, she must outgrow her childhood, like her aversion to being touched and the same black and white saddle shoes she has worn for the past 18 years, and accept the dark family legacy that is in her blood.

Stoker is the English language debut for acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook. I have not seen his previous work, so I cannot make comparisons, but the film has a very unique, highly-stylized visual look to it that tells a lot about what it going on. Whether it be strong colors that represent the characters and their moods, or the use of stairs and height to emphasize a power struggle between two characters, a lot is said without saying anything at all.

The film takes place in a timeless setting. While we are told that India was born in 1994, the ambiance is that of a simpler time. From the home’s decor to Charlie’s convertible and the characters’ costumes, all look representative of a time decades earlier. We also don’t see people using cell phones or the internet. Instead they play the piano or watch nature documentaries on TV.

Another thing to note is the great use of sound in the film. In the opening narration India says that she has a heightened sense of hearing. Throughout the film, the viewer gets to experience this sense of what India hears with the sounds of spiders crawling, eggs cracking, a metronome clicking or the buzz of a fluorescent light. Every zip of a zipper or creak of a door or floorboard is heard in the film.

As for the Blu-ray itself, the picture is fantastic and captures the beautiful look of the film. In the same way, the audio track captures both the normal dialogue and soundtrack but also this heightened sense of hearing. The disc also some interesting behind-the-scenes interviews and footage.

Stoker is an interesting psychological thriller with a beautiful look that is definitely worth checking out.

What’s Included:

Film (1:38:55):

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1, French DD 5.1, Portuguese DD 5.1, Czech DD 5.1, Hungarian DD 5.1, Polish DD 5.1, Thai DD 5.1, Turkish DD 5.1 (and more)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Malaysian, Chinese, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese (and more)

Digital Copy: (Redemption Deadline 6/18/2015)

• UltraViolet DigitalHD Copy redeemable via Vudu or Flixster

Extras:

• Deleted Scenes (10:01)
  Three slightly extended sequences from the film. Play All or select from “First conversation on the stairs”, “Auntie Gin’s arrival”, “Charlie’s Death (Temp VFX)”.
• Stoker: A Filmmakers Journey (27:50)
  Producer Michael Costigan and actors Nicole Kidman, Mia Waikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney and Jacki Weaver talk about working with legendary director Park Chan-wook and what drew them to the project. Park talks about working on his first English language feature film. Production designer Therese DePrez, costume designers Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller, co-producer Bergen Swanson, location manager Mark Ragland, camera operator Michael Alba and director of photography Chung-hoon Chung talk about the look of the film. Includes a lot of behind the scenes footage.
• Photography by Mary Ellen Mark (11:15)
  Collection of production stills. Either select Auto-advance or use remote to manually step through the gallery.
• London Theatre Design (2:35)
  In support of the film’s theatrical opening in London, the Curzon Soho Theatre was transformed into the world of Stoker. This is a collection of photos of the result. Either select Auto-advance or use remote to manually step through the gallery.
• Theatrical Behind the Scenes
  Most of these featurettes reuse a lot of the interview footage from the A Filmmaker’s Journey featurette.
  • The Making of the International Limited Edition Poster (2:55)
    The drawing of the poster intermixed with film clips, set the music of Emily Wells’ “Becomes the Color”.
  • Mysterious Characters (3:33)
    The cast and creators talk about the characters in the film.
  • Director’s Vision (3:28)
    The cast and creators talk about being part of Park Chan-wook’s English language debut.
  • Designing the Look (3:02)
    The cast and crew talk about the stylized look of the film.
  • Creating the Music (2:39)
    Composer Clint Mansell and director Park Chan-wook talk about the orchestral soundscape of the film.
• Red Carpet Premiere
  • Red Carpet Footage (15:38)
    Footage from the Korean red carpet premiere arrivals set to “Becomes the Color” by Emily Wells. Also includes some crowd Q&A replies from Mia Wasikowska, Park Chan-wook and Emily Wells.
  • “Becomes the Color” by Emily Wells’ Performance (4:46)
    Emily Wells performs her theme song from the film on stage.
• Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots (3:48)
  Play All or select from Theatrical Trailer, “Do Not Disturb”, “Disturb Review”, and “Family Review”.
• Sneak Peek (10:22)
  Play All or select from trailers for The East, The Blu-ray Experience, Trance, Hitchcock, Phantom, and The Oranges.
• Free Song Download of “Becomes the Color” by Emily Wells
  Blu-ray insert provides URL to download the song that plays in the closing scene of the film and over the final credits.