I have a lot of respect for first time directors who swing big.

After his charming documentary debut, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest, director Mads Hedegaard has set his sights on a Nordic Apocalypto. No big deal, just an epic exploration of cultural shifts 4000 years before the common era. It's such a brazen move that even when the film doesn't work, it's admirable enough that I can wait to see what Hedegaard makes next.

The story begins with the first farmers arriving in Northern Europe. Aathi (Angela Bundalovic) and her family settle in a remote part of the land they choose to call their own. It’s not long before those who were there first arrive, and the encounter leads to bloodshed. Aathi and her brother survive, only to find themselves forcefully integrated into the tribe that killed their family. Time passes, and soon Aathi gives birth to a child whom the tribe wants to make their own.

There’s a lot to admire in the setting and themes, especially as Hedegaard isn’t subtle with his comparisons to present day. Immigration, integration, culture, borders, all come into play as Aathi navigates the treacherous waters of her new home.

But for all its good intentions, Stranger rarely goes anywhere with its rich material. Its glacial pacing suggests a larger mosaic of a narrative that never comes together. This is a film that mistakes meandering for meditative. By the time we reach the third argument about integration in a fictional language of a fictional tribe, I was ready to check out for good.

Thankfully, Bundalovic’s committed performance helps a lot. Even when the dialog is gibberish and the plot loses any momentum, she keeps us locked into Aathi’s inner struggle. Bundalovic communicates so much with her expressive eyes that I can’t help but wonder if this would have been a better picture without any dialog at all.

At two hours in length, Stranger does not have enough material to warrant its runtime. If it were a half hour shorter, its conclusion would hit harder. Especially as we can see it coming from miles away. Predictability isn’t a bad thing, either. Dramatic irony works when the audience knows more than the characters. But Stranger frames itself as an exploration of the present through the past and never lets go of the modern lens it uses to amplify its findings. It wants to be both realistic and make a statement, yet it can’t quite reach either conclusion.

Instead, it’s a remarkably brave first feature that displays clear talent from both sides of the camera. It doesn’t quite work, but that also doesn’t mean the next one won’t. Hedegaard knows what do with his camera. Once the material clicks as well, we’re in for something special. This just isn’t it.