The Comfort of Strangers (1990)

In the ethereal city of Venice, an English couple escapes from their mundane life, hoping to mend the rifts in their relationship. The city's labyrinthine streets and canals reflect their emotional quagmire, while an unspoken sense of being observed hangs in the air like an ominous echo. This feeling materializes one evening when they lose their way and find themselves invited by a stranger, his enigmatic allure drawing them into his world. This stranger, both fascinating and grotesque, intoxicates them with wine and unsettling tales from his past, stirring in them a sense of repulsion and moral unease. Dazed and physically drained, they escape his clutches, only to encounter him again the next day in a bustling Venetian piazza. Under his magnetic pull, they find themselves accepting an invitation to his luxurious apartment, stepping once more into his enigmatic realm. Their encounter with the stranger forces them to face the simmering questions about each other, as the city of water mirrors their own turbulent relationship. Yet, they find themselves entangled again in the stranger's world, a dark and enticing vortex where their deepest desires and fears are tantalizingly within reach. Drawn back into the stranger's perilous fantasies and his companion's intriguing presence, they traverse a path that is as seductive as it is menacing, their journey in Venice becoming more than just a holiday, but a voyage into the heart of their own darkness.

The Comfort of Strangers is a thriller movie featuring Christopher Walken and directed by Paul Schrader.

The Comfort of Strangers is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.