SummaryWhen a Syrian doctor is forced to flee Aleppo with her young daughter, one desperate choice sets off a chain of events that ripples across borders and pulls four strangers into the same storm. A smuggler trying to save his son. A soldier wrestling with his conscience. A poet searching for home. A Greek coast guard captain caught between duty and ... Read More
Directed By:Brandt Andersen
Written By:Brandt Andersen
I Was a Stranger
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
tbd
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
tbd
50% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
50% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jan 4, 2026
100
I Was a Strranger is the first great film of 2026. It’s cleverly written, carefully crafted and beautifully-acted with characters who humanize many facets of the “migration” and “illegal immigration” debate.
Jan 9, 2026
50
Andersen’s film, in its attempt to present various perspectives in this story, shifts the viewer’s attention from one character to another, diluting its emotional impact.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
63% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
25% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
13% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jan 9, 2026
10
A sobering but profound movie. It made clear to me (maybe for the first time) the plight of refugees everywhere - people more similar to us than different from us, and who but for the grace of God could indeed be us.
Jan 10, 2026
7
"I Was a Stranger" is a sobering but profound movie that speaks to (maybe for the first time) the plight of refugees everywhere - people more similar to us than different from us, and who but for the grace of God could indeed be us.
Production Company:
- The Reel Foundation
- Philistine Films
- SPACE + ART Entertainment
Release Date:Dec 31, 2025
Duration:1 h 43 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Based on 14 million true stories.
Awards
Red Rock Film Festival
• 7 Wins & 11 Nominations
Enjoy Film Festival
• 4 Wins & 4 Nominations
Seattle Film Festival
• 4 Wins & 4 Nominations
