Many particulars may change over time, yet TV movies still tend to feel alike more than they don't. If less so than in many more recent examples, there are instances here of stylized flourishes - some music cues, camerawork, dialogue - and like other such fare, the pacing is brisk and the runtime is notably concise. It's a credit to screenwriter Eric Roth and director Paul Wendkos that despite the pace and length, 'The strangers in 7A' never feels curt or brusque in the same fashion as, say, original movies from Lifetime or SyFy. More importantly, this picture is characterized by a distinct sincerity that many of its brethren couldn't possibly claim; it's a thriller in miniature, but a true thriller nonetheless. And it's pretty good!
One can discern ways in which the story could have been expanded more - or, though I'm unfamiliar with the source material, perhaps ways in which the story was truncated in adaptation. Above all, there are themes lightly touched upon regarding Artie and Iris, relatively advanced in age, that could have been explored more: their loneliness, their need to feel needed and relevant, and so on. Consider, too, that story beat that effectively kicks off the plot; there's thematic content to parse in terms of the decisions men make. To these points, the casting is rather perfect, as 1972 found both Ida Lupino and Andy Griffith several years removed from what had been their greatest successes up to that time; in those ways that this could have been More, I can't help but think of 'Murder, she wrote,' the murder mystery series for septuagenarians. That - only, while Artie and Iris are ostensibly the protagonists, it doesn't seem they're centered in the narrative as much as they could or should be for much of the length. Maybe this is a detail which further invites analysis of themes regarding the elderly and how they are treated and regarded. Is 'Strangers' inadvertently meta?
Yet for whatever peculiarities this might boast, and any minutiae one may scrutinize, by and large it's quite solid and still holds up well 50 years on. Though some choices are a little too overt or On The Nose, for the most part I very much like Morton Stevens' score, lending significantly to the tension and suspense of the scenario. Wendkos' direction and Robert B. Hauser's cinematography are rather sharp, and I can forgive any more self-indulgent moments. The stunts and effects are really quite excellent, along with the production design, art direction, and props and weapons. I think the cast is altogether fantastic - Griffith and Lupino, yes, but no less so Michael Brandon, Susanne Benton, James A. Watson Jr., and more; the acting is charged and vibrant, carrying the same strong electricity as the music and the storytelling. And Roth's screenplay is decidedly smart, the foundation of everything else that's done so well here. The narrative is small and straightforward, but doesn't take any shortcuts or cheap and easy outs; the scene writing bristles with energy, and more action than one might suppose for a feature starring two actors around 50 years old (in the years before mega-blockbuster franchises became A Thing). If anything, the ending is a little ham-handed and abrupt, but in fairness, what TV movie has ever been truly perfect?
The medium has a specific reputation, thanks in large part to those networks I've mentioned above. One way or another "made for TV" films can certainly be worthwhile and enjoyable in their own right, but I think it's safe to say that more than not over the years they've often been considered the proverbial red-headed stepchild next to their Silver Screen cousins. It's deeply pleasing, then, to every once in a while come across an instance that well exceeds those assumptions, and 'The strangers in &A' is one such instance. Any idiosyncrasies or subjective weaknesses are minor and far outweighed by the strength illustrated in every component part, the writing and acting not least of all. I dare say that if one is looking for a thriller, this is just a deserving as any Big Screen title one might find - maybe not a total must-see, but highly entertaining and satisfying all the same. This is worth checking out if you have the chance!
