I Was a Stranger
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- Trailer 2 (02:24)
- Trailer 1 (02:02)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
A Syrian doctor and her daughter flee Aleppo, setting off a chain of events that binds five strangers together. A smuggler, a soldier, a poet, and a coast guard captain collide in a crisis that tests their courage, their choices, and their humanity.
Cast
- Yasmine Al Massri
- Yahya Mahayni
- Omar Sy
- Ziad Bakri
- Constantine Markoulakis
- Ayman Samman
- Mahmoud Bakri
- Saleh Bakri
- Jason Beghe
Moviegoers are saying
This Syrian refugee crisis drama divides audiences between those moved by its emotional storytelling and those criticizing its political approach and white director's perspective. While praised for strong performances and important subject matter, many viewers question the film's distribution by Angel Studios and its focus on individual stories rather than systemic critique.
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.5
6.0K
1.7K
1.3K
- Feb 24, 2024
the refugee crisis put into a digestible thriller/drama for mass audiences. the type of film people walk out of, feeling terrible yet their conscience is a little bit more relieved. hey, at least you're on the right side of history, huh? i see the need for a film like…
shookoneJan 9, 2026pros: - produced by philistine films, an independent studio based in palestine and jordan - THE atticus ross of NIN on the soundtrack - critique of xenophobia - diverse cast and strong acting cons: - distributed by weird christian company that is ironically named angel…
anglerphishJan 8, 2026Y’all really worried about who’s telling the story rather than the story that is being told. It’s gripping, moving and intense with layered characters who all give incredible performances.
Chazm - Jan 9, 2026
Why make a movie about refugees and open up with the trump building? Especially when the film never takes place in America. Typical angel studio misery porn type of film.
🏳️⚧️💕Belle Forger💕🏳️⚧️Jan 8, 2026decently well made but the white boy at the end asking for donations to pay-it-forward movie tickets to his movie after showing syrian children dying in the water really sums up the overall messaging
the gravel goblinJan 8, 2026In the credits, the director comes on to tell us that the purpose of his film is to show people that strangers are more alike than we think, even in times of war like the Syrian Refugee Crisis, it is all a matter of perspective. Empathy for refugees/immigrants is extremely…
ConsciousReview - Jan 7, 2026
What did I just watch? We have the stories of several strangers converging in a bizarre fashion with no character or plot development at all. The doctor and soldier were a great start, but once you gave us the smuggler, poet, and captain the movie basically fell of a…
Cinemaniac247Feb 24, 2024Does this movie have flaws? Definitely. Did the fact that Omar Sy and his clearly French speaking kid randomly spoke English to each other whilst residing in turkey really confuse me? Yes. Do I think this was a really important film to humanise asylum seekers as people…
tabeoschFeb 11, 2026When the director showed up in the end credits and told us what is important...rofl! Exactly the laughable trash you would expect from Angelstudios.
DonnieDarko666
Queue Community Reviews
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Community 358
Top Reviews
- Diego Huertas is "meh" onI Was a Stranger
6/10 It was alright had some pacing issues overall a good story about perspective
Tyra watched_neutraldI Was a Stranger6/10; i was hooked til the end, but the ending was SO SAD
Des lovedI Was a StrangerHeart wrenching
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Samantha McQuillan lovedI Was a Strangergut wrenching
Atom Users Reviews
POPULAR TAGS
Reviews
- DFDorotha Feuerborn
I was confused through a bunch of it. It was definitely a different Angel movie than I've ever seen. A lot of questions left unanswered
EWEva WilsonEveryone should watch this . It would hopefully teach people some empathy. Put your self in their shoes and perhaps judge refugees less.
MLMelody LM - PLPatrick LindsayCSCindy StudebakerNSNiraj Shah
- MLMelissa LirianoDDDebbie DebbieJDJunkyard D
Metacritic
Frequently Asked Questions
Is I Was a Stranger (2026) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is I Was a Stranger (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 37min long.
What's I Was a Stranger (2026) about?
A Syrian doctor and her daughter flee Aleppo, setting off a chain of events that binds five strangers together. A smuggler, a soldier, a poet, and a coast guard captain collide in a crisis that tests their courage, their choices, and their humanity.
Who's the cast of I Was a Stranger (2026)?
- Yasmine Al Massri as THE DOCTOR - Amira Homsi
- Yahya Mahayni as THE SOLDIER - Mustafa
- Omar Sy as The Smuggler - Marwan
- Ziad Bakri as THE POET - Fathi
- Constantine Markoulakis as THE CAPTAIN - Stavros
- Ayman Samman as Shaheen
- Mahmoud Bakri as Tarek
- Saleh Bakri as Alaa
- Jason Beghe
Who's the director behind I Was a Stranger (2026)?
Brandt Andersen directed I Was a Stranger (2026).
Who produced I Was a Stranger (2026)?
Brandt Andersen, Ossama Bawardi and Ryan Busse produced I Was a Stranger (2026).
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