Could this happen to you? Is The Strangers: Chapter 1 based on a true story? The opening title cards certainly lead us to believe so. And why not? “Strangers” knocking on your door and terrorizing you isn’t too farfetched of a notion, as it seems. True crime docuseries are everywhere these days, perpetually growing in popularity across the streaming giants amid the world’s fascination with serial killers, stalkers, and more.
It’s no real surprise, then, that a throwback scary movie like The Strangers (2008), written and directed by Bryan Bertino, has been revisited and expanded upon in an all-new 4.5-hour film – that’s been divided into three parts after a 278-page script was written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland. Veteran filmmaker Renny Harlin is at the helm, and Chapter 1 is now in theaters, serving to “redo” the original premise in a way, with familiar story tropes that might leave those familiar with the Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman starrer going, “Oh yeah, I know what’s about to happen here…” It’s not always a bad effect, but by the end, you will be left scratching your head and itching for more.
From Bertino to Harlin: A Strangers Saga
The Strangers: Chapter 1
3/5
- Release Date
- May 17, 2024
- Writers
- Alan R. Cohen , Alan Freedland , Amber Loutfi
- Studio
- Fifth Element Productions, Frame Film
- Effectively piques our interest as to what Chapter 2 and 3 will bring.
- There are genuinely frightening moments throughout the film.
- A strong Madelaine Petsch carries the movie.
- Froy Gutierrez is no match for Petsch’s performance.
- The Strangers: Chapter 1 doesn’t seem to offer anything beyond the 2008 film.
- Even for a 91-minute movie, the ending could have been trimmed down.
It’s an interesting effect, watching a movie and knowing what will happen because you’ve seen it before – except you haven’t, technically. Fans of The Strangers (2008) will probably forgive that they can predict every twist and turn in Harlin’s first installment here, especially because they probably won’t see the genuinely frightening, pop-out-scary moments coming that will leave you spilling your popcorn, disturbing the other audience members in your theater and more. The loud *thuds* alone on the cabin’s door are terrifying enough, but there’s plenty more terror to offer here…
The movie starts with a dialogue-free sequence, as a well-dressed lad (Ryan Young) runs terrified through the woods. You can probably guess how it ends, as the infamous masked terrorizers so memorable from Bertino’s original film emerge. It’s interesting that his 2008 O.G. work is so poorly reviewed on Rotten Tomatoes, speaking of. Millennials and budding adults might recall Bertino’s film as the type of movie that would play again and again on good ol’ fashioned HBO back in the day. It was perfect to either start from the beginning in your living room late at night or even right in the middle of the movie if it started on HBO half an hour earlier.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 Director Teases Plans for New Trilogy
Director Renny Harlin recently sat down to discuss how The Strangers: Chapter 1 fits into the overall plan for the entire trilogy.
In place of Tyler and Speedman in Chapter 1 (2024) are rising stars Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) and Froy Gutierrez as Maya and Ryan, respectively, a young couple who’ve dated for five years but have not yet become engaged. They do engage with a remote town out in the boonies, however, once their fancy SUV conveniently breaks down, and they stay in a sort of makeshift Airbnb in the woods, as strongly encouraged by basically every townie they meet in the local diner. The sheriff (reliably menacing character actor Richard Brake) watches on with ominous eyes, and we expect to see more from him in the two follow-up chapters…
The Strangers Live On, but Does Anyone Else?
“Hope he didn’t have the turkey melt,” Ryan jokingly says to the diner’s waitress after noticing a “missing” photo of the well-dressed lad we saw at the beginning. “He did,” says the waitress coldly, and Ryan freezes up – since he just devoured the same menu item. Talk about “bad omen,” people. Other black-humor moments are sprinkled throughout this otherwise expectedly unnerving feature, but the horror overpowers all else.
The big problem is that we’re left wondering why skilled director Harlin – who shot on location in the Slovakian woods to thrilling effect – didn’t skip to Chapter 2, which we now eagerly await. As mentioned earlier, this initial installment is merely a redo of the 2008 film, which isn’t exactly a spoiler if you’ve seen the promotional trailers. You’ll still be scared silly, and frightfest fanatics will have a ball comparing Bertino’s work with that of Harlin’s, the man behind Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and plenty of other genre flicks.
What Made The Strangers Such a Terrifying Film?
One of the most terrifying films ever made, we take a look back at the 2008 horror flick!
Petsch’s heartfelt performance is quite powerful by the end, especially for a slasher flick, and she shows promise as a future Hollywood leading lady. Gutierrez is no match for her, sadly, but we’re not really here for Oscar-contending turns. Director Harlin, meanwhile, shot all three chapters as one big movie, so we can’t wait to see what’s in store for the soon-to-be-released follow-ups. From Lionsgate, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is now available in theaters nationwide.
