Nature vs nurture takes centre stage in Chan-wook Park’s English language debut Stoker, a brilliantly made psychological thriller filled with twisted sexual dynamics and centred one hell of a dysfunctional family.

It’s the eternal question: is evil bred or born? Stoker delves into that murky territory with its story of the insanely dysfunctional Stoker family who go over the deep end when patriarch Richard (Dermot Mulroney) dies off screen during the opening seconds, and his long lost brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) visits to give his condolences.

It’s through the eyes of teen India that we watch the secrets of her family reveal itself one creepily tense filled moment at a time. As played by Mia Wasikowska, India is a calm ocean of eccentricities wrapped in a cold exterior, her curious stare taking in the twisted spectacle of watching her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) fawn over her mysterious brother-in-law.

Chan-wook Park has an obsession with the eyes of his characters in Stoker. India’s eyes are filled with voyeuristic suspicion, Charlie has wide eye intensity to his, and Evelyn’s eyes are glassed over by a combination of drunkenness and grief. Feet also play a big role. It’s all a part of a kinky sexual dynamic that is vital in a lot of Chan-wook Park’s works and here underlines dark urges that skirts the taboo.

Written by Wentworth Miller (the actor famous for his leading role in TV series Prison Break), Stoker has the kind of script that would have made Hitchcock giddy at the knees as murder, supressed sexuality and dense mystery whirls into a thick fog of suspicion and intrigue. Psychological head games leave us guessing until those disturbing truths come to light and the answer to that opening question reveals itself.   

Placed under the eye of any other filmmaker and convention can creep in. Luckily Chan-wook Park is more than willing to throw convention to the side and let his patented style ooze across the screen, delivering a wholly refreshing thriller and a beautiful looking one to boot, with great art and costume direction creating moments that look like gothic infused paintings.

Many foreign directors have stumbled in their English language debuts, yet Chan-wook Park has successfully brought his style to Hollywood and in  Stoker has created a great film in the process. Just as he added his touch to the revenge movie in Oldboy and the vampire film in Thirst, here Chan-wook Park has given new shades to the crime thriller. Fans of the genre will no doubt find his fresh perspective a treat.