The Cry of the Owl (2009)

The Cry of the Owl is a 2009 thriller film based on Patricia Highsmith's book of the same name. The British-Canadian-French-German co-production was directed by Jamie Thraves and stars Paddy Considine, Julia Stiles, and Karl Pruner. This is the third filming of the book after the 1987 French film adaptation by Claude Chabrol and a German TV adaptation titled Der Schrei der Eule, also dating from 1987.

Synopsis: The depressed and needy designer Robert Forrester has just moved from New York to work in the Lavigne Aeronautics in a small town. Robert is under pressure and stalking Jenny Thierolf, sneaking around the woods every night to see the happiness of the young woman that lives alone in an isolated house. Robert is divorcing from his cruel and cynical wife Nickie Grace in New York and is not interested in another relationship at that moment. When Jenny sees Robert snooping her, he introduces himself and she surprisingly invites him to talk to her and drink a coffee. When Jenny's boyfriend Greg Wyncoop proposes her, she realizes that she does not love him and breaks up with Greg. Then Jenny falls in love with Robert and pursues him everywhere; however does not want to commit with her. Robert is loathed by Greg's friends and one day, Greg forces Robert's car off the road and attacks Robert, but Robert hits him in self-defense and leaves Greg unconscious nearby a river. When Greg goes missing, Robert becomes the prime-suspect of the police. He loses his promotion; he is suspended from his job; his friend Jack Neilson leaves him; his landlord asks his house back; and Jenny commits suicide. When Robert is shot on the street, he is sure that the responsible is Greg, but nobody believes him.