South Korean filmmaker Chan-wook Park needs no introduction. Having started his career a couple of decades back with a little known film called Moon Is the Sun’s Dream (1992), Park has come a long way in his pursuit of filmmaking excellence. With his sanguinary “Vengeance Trilogy,” comprising Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), Park not only became a household name in Korea but also managed to carve a niche for himself in the international film circles. And after a very long wait, Park finally brings to his fans his first ever English-language film, Stoker.

Stoker is a dark, deeply disturbing character study with a psychological bent about an introspective young girl who witnesses the loss of innocence following the sudden and untimely demise of her beloved father. In Stoker, Park’s fixation for the bizarre and the morbid is once again on full display. But, he is clearly a bit more cautious than usual. He seems to keep his characters on a tight leash for a much longer duration, and this makes the movie’s first half appear much slower and less hyper than a typical Park film. But, once the dust settles down, the viewer is treated to sheer mastery of Park’s craft.

Stoker can be best looked upon as Park’s homage to the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Those who have seen Hitchcock’s 1943 thriller Shadow of a Doubt wouldn’t find it hard to draw parallels between the two films. Interestingly, it was Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece Vertigo that had inspired young Park to become a filmmaker. In Stoker, Park limns a colorful canvas like only he can and his characters tread it like spirits caught in a limbo. While the characters are highly emotional, their strangely selfish actions make it difficult for the viewers to sympathize with them.

Park’s longtime collaborator Chung-hoon Chung’s alluring cinematography gives the movie a hypnotic feel. The acting of movie’s three lead characters viz. Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode is quite brilliant, and in that very order. Overall, Stoker is an intriguing piece of cinema, but it somewhat falls short of the brilliance of Park’s best work. Despite managing to stoke a strong fire of curiosity, Stoker strangely leaves a keen-eyed, intelligent viewer high and dry. Those accustomed to watching the quintessential Hollywood product may find Stoker both bizarre and disturbing. But, those on the lookout for a breath of fresh air would be thoroughly rewarded.

Rating: 7.5/10