The Strangers (2008) Review
"You're gonna die."
-Doll-face
The Strangers follows dating couple Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman), as they arrive at James' family's summer home after attending a wedding. The night is already awkward as James proposed to Kristen at the wedding and she declined. But the night turns from awkward to deadly as three mysterious strangers wearing masks appear at the remote house. Kristen and James are forced to fight for their lives as the strangers toy with them and get gradually more and more violent.
What Works:
I'll come clean and say I am a huge fan of this movie. One of the main reasons it works is because it feels so real. The story is something that could absolutely happen. The hyper-realism scares the crap out of me.
I also like the characters. They make decisions that the audience would most likely make, of the most part. There are definitely a few questionable choices near the end of the film. But for the most part, Kristen and James are smart characters and their decisions make sense.
The Strangers also has one of the most terrifying shots in horror history, which you can see above. It's a long take of Kristen in the house by herself. And out from the shadows emerges The Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks). He just stands there and watches her for awhile before disappearing, and Kristen never notices. It's horrifying and nightmare-enducing.
Finally, I love how much of a slow-burn the film is. It takes its time to build up the tension and suspense. The strangers spend a good amount of time simply toying with James and Kristen. Some people may find this movie slow and boring at first, but I love that it takes its time.
What Sucks:
My only real complaint is the sequence where Kristen hides in a closet goes on for a bit too long. I feel like some of that could have been cut out and it would have improved the movie.
Verdict:
The Strangers is a terrifying film that takes its sweet time to build suspense instead of just constant jump scares. It has smart characters, and it has hyper-realism that makes the film of the scariest I've ever seen. It's a shame to sequel sucked so much, because the original has got it going on.
8/10: Really Good
I also like the characters. They make decisions that the audience would most likely make, of the most part. There are definitely a few questionable choices near the end of the film. But for the most part, Kristen and James are smart characters and their decisions make sense.
The Strangers also has one of the most terrifying shots in horror history, which you can see above. It's a long take of Kristen in the house by herself. And out from the shadows emerges The Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks). He just stands there and watches her for awhile before disappearing, and Kristen never notices. It's horrifying and nightmare-enducing.
Finally, I love how much of a slow-burn the film is. It takes its time to build up the tension and suspense. The strangers spend a good amount of time simply toying with James and Kristen. Some people may find this movie slow and boring at first, but I love that it takes its time.
What Sucks:
My only real complaint is the sequence where Kristen hides in a closet goes on for a bit too long. I feel like some of that could have been cut out and it would have improved the movie.
Verdict:
The Strangers is a terrifying film that takes its sweet time to build suspense instead of just constant jump scares. It has smart characters, and it has hyper-realism that makes the film of the scariest I've ever seen. It's a shame to sequel sucked so much, because the original has got it going on.
8/10: Really Good
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