Strays was a surprisingly good film. Writer and director Vin Diesel (yes the action star) definitely impressed me with his attention to detail and his ability to write a powerful yet simple script.

The independent film which had a budget of under $50,000 did not prevent Diesel from establishing himself as not only a great actor, but also a insightful director. Diesel plays the role of Rick, a small time drug dealer living in the slums of New York who finds his life of dealing drugs and partying daily boring and dull. He yearns for a better life and he finds himself in a power struggle between the only life he’s ever known and the opportunity to escape that life through several chance meetings with the girl next door.

With such a low budget, the scenes in the film looked as if they were shot with a cheap home video recorder, but that actually strengthened the movie in many ways. The film did not feel Hollywood and this gave the movie a more authentic appeal to it. The character development was on the money, and I thought Diesel did an excellent job portraying Rick as a man who truly wanted to conquer his demons and make a better life for himself.

If your a individual who enjoys films for its storyline and characters you’ll probably appreciate this film. There is quite a bit of vulgarity and nudity so its definitely not for children. I will boldly say that Strays was easily one of Vin Diesel’s finest achievements as a actor and director and I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to reproduce its authenticity.