Review of Perfect Strangers (1984) by Michael W — 29 Apr 2012

A really cool concept on the thriller genre about a toddler who witnesses a gang murder, leading to the hitman shacking up with the boy's mother in an attempt to figure out what the toddler knows and see if the young boy is capable of identifying him.

Typical of Larry Cohen, this is an offbeat thriller that has some great atmosphere and mood, but it's a really tight story of the moral repercussions and consequences which unfold beautifully. Cohen really uses the young boy to his advantage, focusing on the boy's face during key sequences to illicit this sense of uncertainty to what exactly the boy recalls/knows about the murder.

There are some great off-kilter sequences between the boy and the hitman, where he tries to explain the situation to the young boy-they are both hysterical and great at showing the mental exhaustion which the hitman is going through.

The mother is such a great character, who clearly is trying to be a strong women, and I really found myself invested in her journey as a character-though, most of the film is definitely from the Hitman's perspective.

Hell, every character in this film is very multi-dimesional-the mom, the ex-husband, the hitman etc., and the film beautifully comes together in a wonderful finale. The film uses the New York locations to great effect, paired with some great sound design to create a nice little time capsule of 80's New York.

This has got to be Cohen's most emotionally resonant film, which is much more a tight narrative than some of his more off-kilter work.