The Strangers - A Movie Review

Let this be a lesson to always lock your door at night

The Strangers snuck into theaters in 2008. Returning home for the night, a couple finds that they are not alone. Tormented by three strangers wearing scary masks, it’s going to take a lot to fight back.

Other than the poster of the film, I did not know a thing about The Strangers. Watching this film sent goosebumps up my skin. Containing clever camera work and an effectively creepy story, The Strangers manages to deliver a message to always keep your doors locked at night.

The Strangers is a film that you need to pay close attention to from beginning to end. Most of the direction is focused primarily on action and the behaviors of the characters. I had to go back and see the implications of the character’s implied relationship because I was distracted.

Based on how the story subtly describes the history of the characters, The Strangers has a good direction. Scott Speedman and Liv Taylor did an excellent job in their interactions. Although their story is not the central focus in the film, their overall reactions, and study of their relationship is key.

Having to stay in a hysterical mindset for most of the events, they are tortured to the extreme. Their interactions are real at times as the director intentionally miscued them. Staying strong, they do whatever they can to fight back. Taylor was especially remarkable in her performance, crawling, hiding, and defending herself. She had great emotions.

I am also impressed with the way Speedman studied his character. Angry at first, he doesn’t want to care about the situation. Briefly, I thought that he was going to abandon the situation entirely. Thankfully, he does not.

As the unknown strangers, Gemma Ward, Alex Fisher, and Laura Margolis were downright terrifying. Wearing creepy, nightmarish masks, their appearances were kept to a minimum. Everything from the quiet way they spoke, slowly moved about and disappeared without warning sent shivers up my spine.

Shooting the film in chronological order, Bryan Bertino made this story as genuine as possible. Basing it off on an event that happened to him, he achieved in bringing an effective story to the big screen. I like how he chose to use hand-held cameras creating the jumpy effect.

The way he shot the film was scarier than a jump scare. That’s correct one shot alone in this film made me jump all because a person entered the room in the background.

Not much happens in The Strangers. Aside from a couple being terrorized by a group of sadistic people, there’s not much else in the story. There were times when the action was too slow, like when Kristin was crawling along the ground to get back to the house. All in all, nothing else needed to happen.

It’s a story about a house invasion with a minor subplot about a couple’s relationships. In some ways, the house plays as a character. We can all relate to this house. Homes are meant to be a safe place. Other subplots would have taken away from the tension.

I gasped at one scene. The Strangers is a scary film. I would not suggest it to anybody who is triggered by home invasion themes. You should also avoid watching this film alone. If anything, the film is a lesson to always keep your doors locked, especially at night.

The theme of home invasions may be a trigger for some viewers. If that does not affect you, I recommend that you find The Strangers on Netflix and watch it.