Ruth Wilson's "spellbinding" British period thriller is now streaming for free

The Little Stranger, the "spellbinding" British period thriller starring Ruth Wilson, is now streaming for free.

The film follows Domhnall Gleeson as Dr Faraday, a working-class doctor who visits Hundreds Hall, an old house where his mother once worked and home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries.

The logline reads: "Post-war gothic drama with Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter and Domhnall Gleeson. When a doctor is called to the big house in the village where he grew up, it's very different to what he imagined…"

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Wilson stars as Faraday's love interest, Caroline Ayres, with Will Poulter and Charlotte Rampling also on the cast.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Lucinda Coxon, The Little Stranger is based on Sarah Waters' 2009 novel of the same name.

The film is now available to stream for free with ads on Channel 4’s streaming service after airing last night on Film4.

The Little Stranger received a largely positive response from critics and currently holds an approval rating of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 143 reviews.

Rolling Stone wrote: "A hypnotic and haunting tale of how the past can grab hold of the flesh-and-blood present and squeeze. Don't let this mesmerizing mystery slip between the cracks of studio neglect and marketing indifference. It's spellbinding."

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"Everything here is precise: Abrahamson's direction, the understated performances, the intrusive sounds that stop just shy of jarring. The result is more sad and spooky than suspenseful or scary, an effect that seems entirely, and pleasingly, intentional," penned The San Diego Reader.

Bloody Disgusting said of the film: "There are moments of stark, unexpected violence, and chilling moments that hint at the ghosts within, but mostly The Little Stranger is a horror mystery that revels in its ambiguity. But the near two hour run time feels overlong."

"Beautifully directed by Lenny Abrahamson, the film evokes this period in a way that is both nostalgic and frequently chilling," wrote The Independent.

The Little Stranger is available to stream on Channel 4.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.