Is The Stranger on Hulu a remake? Plot, cast, and more details explored

Hulu's The Stranger is a psychological thriller that follows the character of Clare, played by Maika Monroe. She is a rideshare driver who unassumingly picks up a dangerous passenger named Carl E, played by Dane DeHaan.

Carl, however, turns out to be a deranged serial killer who reveals himself only after he gets into the car and some time passes as his mask begins to wear off. Clare thus embarks on a nightmarish journey to escape through the darkness and the lower underbelly of society.

The synopsis of this film, as per Hulu, reads:

"New to Los Angeles, rideshare driver Clare (Maika Monroe) picks up Carl (Dane DeHaan) from a home deep in the Hollywood Hills. What begins as a routine ride turns into Clare’s worst nightmare: a twelve-hour fight for survival through the city’s seedy underbelly. Carl is not the passenger Clare thought he was, and Clare is not easy prey (...)"

The film was originally a Quibi series, but it has been re-edited and not remade, into a regular feature film for Hulu, which was released on April 15, 2024. The movie is written and directed by Veena Sud, who is an award-winning filmmaker known for her works in The Lie, Seven Seconds, and The Killing.

---

The Stranger is not a remake

It is not a remake but rather a recut Quibi series of the same name which is now available on Hulu. This means that the film was not shot all over again but the scenes that had already been shot, were edited and put together differently this time so that it could be re-released in a new way. It was trimmed into a feature film by Veena Sud and editor Philip Fowler.

In the year 2020, the series was released in 13 short episodes as a show for the Quibi platform. Quibi was a short-form mobile streaming platform launched in April 2020, featuring content in 10-minute episodes or less. Despite initial hype and investment, it failed to meet subscriber targets and was shut down in October 2020.

Sud told ComicBook.com:

"I knew after looking at the finished Quibi series, yes, it worked as the TV episodic. (...) It felt like it did, and for people who watched it on Quibi, what this version allowed was this much more material and this much more material, because the screen now was this versus that."

Fowler told IndieWire:

“They shot a lot of the movie in order, so that was fun to cut because I felt like I was along for the ride with the characters.”

The film guides the viewers through Clare's adventure as a rideshare driver in Los Angeles, where she has newly moved. There, she meets a mysterious man, Carl E, whom she picks up at a big mansion that does not belong to him.

Carl openly says he has shot at the pickup, after which he plans to kill Clare too. Nevertheless, his presence is quite virtual rather than physical, making him one of the most feared and secretive opponents.

---

What is the plot of The Stranger on Hulu?

Maika Monroe in The Stranger (Image via Hulu)

The Stranger focuses on Clare, who picks up a passenger from a mansion located in the Hollywood Hills. The expected trip turns out to be the worst nightmare for Clare, as she has to go through a 12-hour-long and violent trip through the city's unsavory strings.

Carl is not the fellow Clare imagined, and Clare herself happens to be an easy target. Carl looks nicely dressed in a suit and tie and says he is a writer who has just finished writing a book.

The Stranger creator Sud told IndieWire:

"The conceit of a woman on the run from a crazy dude through the streets of L.A. is very linear, but we had to pull out shots and moments that felt too in your face."

Clare, whose vocation is rideshare driving, has high hopes for her new passenger who is famous. Clare, portrayed by Maika Monroe, needs to be wise enough to play cat and mouse to dodge the killer who seeks her life for the whole night.

Dane DeHaan in a still from the series (Image via Hulu)

The main cast members of The Stranger on Hulu are:

• Maika Monroe as Clare, a rideshare driver in Los Angeles
• Dane DeHaan as Carl E, a passenger who turns out to be a deranged murderer.
• Avan Jogia as J.J.

---

The Stranger is available for streaming exclusively on Hulu.