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The Strangers (2008) A Simple, Yet Fun Flick

Within the past decade, horror films that have made its way to the lver screen have been filled with far too many toned down PG-13, Japanese adaptations or theatres just seeing a dry spell lacking a good thrill.

But in late spring of 2008, one film that kept things mple set out to be a fun time that I can watch over and over again and maintain that thrilling feeling nearly as much as the initial viewing. First-time writer/director Bryan Bertino delivers The Strangers with a macabre, “based on true events” plotline that keeps within a realistic realm and builds suspense quite well.

After a botched marriage proposal, James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) and Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) set out to what could have been a romantic weekend up at his father’s rural home. But instead, it turned into an emotional, yet unexpected massacre waiting to happen as some uninvited guests start taunting and eventually terrorizing the guiltless couple.

And for what reason were these so-called strangers terrorizing them? mple. It just so happened that they were home. It was the biggest mistake of Hoyt’s life to answer the door in the wee hours of the night as a dreary, shadow-obscured girl comes knocking “looking for a friend.” But only should they know that she would be back, next time with a couple more masked, pitiless vitors.

Despite some foreseeable, clichéd moments, The Strangers constantly builds suspense with a dark, ‘in the middle of nowhere’ setting. And Bertino switches from the perspectives of the protagonists and antagonists that give viewers a glimpse through the eyes of the characters.

The Strangers has the feel between When A Stranger Calls and Vacancy. But instead of continuous, disturbing phone calls and taunting at a hotel, Strangers serve up milar undertakings but with much creepier fiends and brutality that is taken to a higher level. With a decent amount of bloodshed, a heart-pounding climax and a brutal, merciless concluon, it makes for one hell of a 90-minute thrill ride, although the ending may keep you out in left field.

Overall, The Strangers does stick to a realistic tone, even though the film is not based on any particular happenings, but rather a compilation of them in general. Speedman and Tyler live up to their characters and never seem to become too far-fetched. Despite a slow intro, the remaining two-thirds of the film make up for the building of the plotline with non-stop thrills that shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but rather enjoyed.

pretty entertaining flick. I prefer the original (Ils) to this American remake, but it's certainly not a failure of a movie, and Liv is gorgeous.

Love The Strangers.

Very mple idea, but executed near perfection if you ask me.I, too, immediately think of ILS when I think of The Strangers.

ILS had very little actual dialogue, and only a handful of characters, but it needed neither- tense the whole time and genuinely scary.

Damn I wanna check out ILS now, never seen it but dug The Strangers (sans the ending).

one of the greatest horror movies in my mind just because of the "real life" feel and the killers "reasons" for the killings

I could not get into this movie, no matter how hard I tried. Two teenage girls and an emaciated weezing dude just dont scare me. I know we have to suspend disbelief in a ton of films, but the crap that went on in this movie was laughable. The second time that first girl knocked on the door talking shit, I would have dragged her ass in the house and called the police or drove her down to the station. OR rather than taking a ride for cigarettes, Id take my gf and haul ass. The writing was poor, it killed the suspense. Who didnt see the friend getting blown away? and why if they found a rifle and ammo they just didnt turn on the lights and hang on the porch until sunrise, BEGGING the three to come out of hiding to eat some lead.

I like SPeedman and Tyler a lot. They were good. The movie could have been scary as hell. It failed imo. ILS was a superior film that got a lot right where Strangers failed.

REALLY good horror films are rare these days so we tend to hail mediocrity.

The Strangers and ILS (THEM) are two very great examples of suspense....while I agree with the "Dude, you have a gun, just wait it out even though you killed your best friend on accident" theory, I very much enjoy The Strangers, my avatar here on HorrorBid, is from a scene that still gets me all creeped out.

ILS (THEM) and The Strangers are in the same tone but they really should be viewed as not an original and an american remake....they both have their strong and weak points but are both highly enjoyable nonetheless..

I welcome a sequel to both if they can do it right....

pretty entertaining flick. I prefer the original (Ils) to this American remake, but it's certainly not a failure of a movie, and Liv is gorgeous. I wouldn't conder Ils to be "the original". I think the only milarities were atmosphere (a few scenes in particular come to mind) and the whole home invaon thing.I enjoyed Ils more, and i had actually heard that The Strangers was a remake, but i was surprised at how dismilar they were.

ILS (THEM) and The Strangers are in the same tone but they really should be viewed as not an original and an american remake....they both have their strong and weak points but are both highly enjoyable nonetheless..

I agree with this.

One scene in particular comes to mind in Ils. When the boyfriend walks downstairs and the televion is turned on.... Its nothing flashy or jaw-dropping, but I was terrified. They got the atmosphere just right.

ILS (THEM) and The Strangers are in the same tone but they really should be viewed as not an original and an american remake....they both have their strong and weak points but are both highly enjoyable nonetheless..

I agree with this.

One scene in particular comes to mind in Ils. When the boyfriend walks downstairs and the televion is turned on.... Its nothing flashy or jaw-dropping, but I was terrified. They got the atmosphere just right.

Yeah that scene creeped my girlfriend and I out pretty good..people need to remember that a good scare can be so much more effective if they use the "less is more" approach..

The strangers was a perfect example of suspence and horror done right. I loved it from start to finish and truely cared for it's victims.