Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- late night viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics generally found the film moody and technically polished, but too slow and emotionally distant to realize its psychological suspense.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Robert, Jenny, and the missing boyfriend are presented through unstable patterns of attraction, suspicion, jealousy, and betrayal.
Robert’s stalking of Jenny transforms routine neighborhood surveillance into the central emotional and criminal threat.
The film’s crisp, foreboding imagery emphasizes loneliness, routine, and psychological disconnection rather than spectacle.
The disappearance and subsequent deadly conflict are propelled by romantic jealousy, mistrust, and betrayal.
Films like The Cry of the Owl, and why
The Talented Mr. Ripley
shared psychological suspense, obsession, ambiguous morality, and bleak atmosphere
Caché
shared crime thriller tension, alienated protagonists, and morally unstable character dynamics
The Vanishing
shared slow-burn psychological dread, stalking, and emotionally withdrawn central characters
Movie Details
- Director
- Jamie Thraves
- Release Date
- 2009-02-07
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (110)
Cast
- Paddy Considine
- Julia Stiles
- Karl Pruner
- Phillip MacKenzie
- Gord Rand
- James Gilbert
- R.D. Reid
- Caroline Dhavernas
- Alex Karzis
- Marcia Laskowski
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Cry of the Owl about?
- A lonely man’s fixation on a neighbor ignites a fatal maze of attraction, suspicion, and betrayal.
- What is The Cry of the Owl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Cry of the Owl as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Cry of the Owl violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Cry of the Owl as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Cry of the Owl?
- Critics generally found the film moody and technically polished, but too slow and emotionally distant to realize its psychological suspense.
- Which films are like The Cry of the Owl?
- Films with a similar feel include The Talented Mr. Ripley, Caché, and The Vanishing.
- How long is The Cry of the Owl?
- The Cry of the Owl runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Cry of the Owl?
- In United States, The Cry of the Owl streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
