A Stray


A Stray is a 2016 American drama film starring Barkhad Abdirahman.

Plot

A young Somali man named Adan is kicked out of his home and must survive on the streets of his hometown, Minneapolis. He begrudgingly befriends a stray dog, which brings him companionship. However, it also brings Adan further exile from his family, his friends, and his community, as caring for a dog as a pet may be seen as haram for Muslims, especially in Somali culture. The film explores loneliness and belonging with intimate shots of Minneapolis seen through the eyes of a downtrodden Somali immigrant.

Cast

  • Barkhad Abdirahman as Adan
  • Christina Baldwin
  • Ifrah Mansour
  • Faysal Ahmed
  • Fathia Absie
  • Ismael Abdullahi

    Reception

The film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Omer M. Mozaffar of RogerEbert.com awarded the film four stars. Chris Hewitt of the St. Paul Pioneer Press awarded it three and a half stars. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three and a half stars out of four.
However, the film received a negative review from Thaddeus McCollum and Cameron Meier of Orlando Weekly; they awarded the film one and a half stars out of five.