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I Was a Stranger

I Was a Stranger
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrandt Andersen
Written byBrandt Andersen
Produced by
  • Brandt Andersen
  • Ossama Bawardi
  • Ryan Busse
  • Charlie Endean
Starring
CinematographyJonathan Sela
Edited byJeff Seibeneck
Music byNick Chuba
Production
company
Philistine Films
Distributed byAngel
Release dates
  • February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23) (Berlin)
  • December 31, 2025 (2025-12-31) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes[3]
Countries
  • Jordan
  • United States[1]
  • Palestine[2]
  • Israel
  • Turkey[2]
Languages
  • Arabic
  • English
  • Greek
Box office$2 million[1]

I Was a Stranger (formerly known as The Stranger's Case) is a 2024 drama film directed, written, and produced by Brandt Andersen, in his feature directorial debut.

The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 23, 2024, and was released in the United States in limited release on December 31, 2025, before expanding wide on January 9, 2026.

Plot

The film follows five people who are pulled together, coming together on a single night where survival is uncertain.

The story is told in five chapters, one chapter for each character: "The doctor", "The soldier", "The smuggler", "The poet" and "The captain". The stories partially overlap.

Cast

Production

The film was the feature directorial debut of Brandt Andersen. Andersen wrote the script of the film in 2017 following Donald Trump putting a controversial laptop ban on U.S.-bound flights from certain airports in the Middle East. Andersen finished writing the script in a month as he returned to the United States, under the title The Stranger's Case. The script was written as a feature film at first, but Andersen was unable to get the project off the ground despite Omar Sy's involvement in the project, and after a suggestion from a friend, Andersen made a short version of the film, called Refugee. Filming took place in Jordan, Turkey, and Chicago. On every single day of shooting, the film had daily devotionals. The film was produced by Andersen, Ossama Bawardi, Ryan Busse, and Charlie Endean.[4]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival as part of the Special Gala section on February 23, 2024.[5] In September 2025, the film was re-titled as I Was a Stranger.[6] Angel Studios released the film in the United States in limited release on December 31, 2025, followed by a wide expansion on January 9, 2026.[6] The film was originally set for a limited release on December 25.[7]

Reception

The film holds a 76% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 critic reviews with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Pairing sharp storytelling and daring direction from Brandt Andersen, I Was a Stranger overcomes an occasionally heavy-handed script with gripping set pieces and nerve-jangling tension."[8] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[9]

Wendy Ide of Screen Daily called the film "An ambitious and confident first feature".[10] Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com finds the film exciting, though manipulative in places.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "I Was a Stranger - Box Office and Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "I Was a Stranger (2025) - Box Office and Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  3. ^ "I Was a Stranger [M]". Australian Classification Board. April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  4. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (March 7, 2024). "Director-Activist Brandt Andersen On Making Omar Sy Starrer 'The Strangers' Case' About Syrian Refugees: "It's A By-Product Of All The Strong Emotions I Was Experiencing And All The Injustices That Were Taking Place"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  5. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (February 18, 2024). "Omar Sy-Starring Berlin Premiere 'The Strangers' Case' Depicts Many Faces of Refugee Crisis". Variety. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Brandt Andersen's The Strangers' Case Renamed I WAS A STRANGER Ahead of Angel's Theatrical Launch". Angel. September 18, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2025). "Angel Studios Dates Syrian Refugee Crisis Drama 'The Strangers' Case' For Year End". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  8. ^ "I Was a Stranger". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  9. ^ "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  10. ^ Ide, Wendy (February 23, 2024). "'The Strangers' Case': Berlin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  11. ^ "Berlin Film Festival 2024: Demba, The Strangers' Case, Black Tea". RogerEbert.com. February 24, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2025.

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