Customer Reviews

The Strangers

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(63)

 

 

I recently had watched this movie, and I must say that without question this movie is the scariest, and creepiest movie I have ever seen. In fact it was so scarry that I slept all the lights on the last two nights, and I keep a baseball bat by my night stand.

I am not going to recap the movie ad nauseum the way some of the other reviews here have already done, however I will give a high level perspective of why this movie is so good at being scarry.

1. There are no ghouls, ghosts, vampires, and demons. The premise of this movie is litteraly one group of people taking advantage of other people.

2. The costumes used by the strangers were simple, and eloquent. Exactly the kind of stuff one could pick up at any party store or costume shop. I feel as though this added a whole other level of realism to the movie.

3. Overall creepiness of the type of harrasment the strangers inflicted on the kristen, and james.

Some negatives that I observed about the movie:

1. James and Kristen making some stupid decisions, that would have any person with a brain scratching their heads...ie...splitting up when you have these psychopaths coming at you from all directions.

2. The strangers violating the laws of physics by being able to subtly and quickly sneak into a space and scrawl messages across the walls, windows of a room to further torment our protaganists, and never ever be seen or heard by James and Kristen. This just doesnt seem plausible to me.

3. The ending didnt really give me closure.

With all that, the movie was highly effective at serving its purpose which was to freak me out, and entertain me, which it did for it's entire 80 minute running time.

I highly recommend this movie, and am only giving this movie 4 stars instead of 5 for the reasons I state above.

There are a few flaws in this otherwise successful film that is in fact as frightening as the trailer makes it out to be. Not being one for the constant barrage of thriller films (the 'Saw' Series, the endless vampire variations, 'I know what you did...', etc) this viewer hesitantly watched what could have been yet another exercise in blood and gore. But surprise! The story (based on a true incident in 2005 as outlined by an off camera narrator discussing the number of violent deaths in America each year before the film opens) is tight, credible, and deals more with the emotion of terror of the unknown than images of gore. Kudos to writer/director Bryan Bertino for finding the core of the macabre. And it is true!

James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) is driving his girlfriend Kristen MacKay (Liv Tyler) to the isolated summer home in the woods that James and his best friend Mike (Glenn Howerton) had earlier decorated with rose petals, candles and champagne in preparation for what was supposed to be a celebration of a marriage proposal. Sadness prevails in the car as Kristen has turned James' proposal down. They quietly enter the decorated house, and almost immediately begin to hear sounds outside and a door knock by a young girl apparently looking for a person not living in this house. Kristen asks James to go out and get her cigarettes and the creepy action begins. Three strangers each in masks terrify Kristen with noises, secretly entering the house, and creating a tense atmosphere until James returns. At this point the story becomes an almost unbearable sequence of events: it is clear the strangers are out to murder James and Kristen. Bound and beaten by the three strangers Kristen asks 'Why us? Why do you want to kill us?' and the simple answer from of the strangers is 'Because you're home'. The ending of the film could have been better handled by someone telling us the results of the night - the follow up to this true story. But instead Bertino elects to keep the level of terror high.

Peter Sova (cinematographer) finds the right amount of shadow and dark to keep us guessing and the musical score by tomandandy is pitch perfect. This is a fine little film, but be prepared to jump in a few spots...and keep the lights on! Grady Harp, November 08

This atmospheric - and undeniably horrifying - directorial debut from Bryan Bertino gave me the chills unlike any other film that I have seen in a long while.

I won't go into the story, because most of you already know it, but I will tell you this: if you are as jumpy and as easily frightened as I am, do NOT watch this one alone. I made the mistake of doing that the first time, and I couldn't finish it. I had to rent it later on, and watch it with a room full of people in order to see the entire film. The thing that makes the film so effective is simply this: this could happen to anybody. Anybody could break into your home and terrorize you for no reason.

The direction is strong, and Liv Tyler does an excellent job. You can tell that it was definitely inspired by Haneke's FUNNY GAMES, but it's not a rip-off by any means. Bryan Bertino has done an excellent job with his first film, and I look forward to his next film.

Not a terrible setup. Masked psychos terrorize a couple late one night in a large house nestled in the corner of a small, rich suburb. A bit slow to start and the characters aren't anything close to interesting, but the setup is decent and the atmosphere is good.

Problem? Everyone's a moron.

If you're a home intruder and the people at home have a gun, you're not going to keep attacking. No you're going to run the **** away and go to some other house some other night. If you're the guy being intruded upon and are sitting in the corner one night with a gun you're not going to go outside and play Elmer Fudd. No, you're going to sit in that corner and stay awake until morning when the suburb will be active. If you're the intruder watching the guy play Elmer Fudd with a shotgun you're not going to bull-rush him and succeed. No, you're going to be blown the **** away. And if you're some guy who just had his windshield smashed before your eyes and sees signs of an obvious break-in you're not going to quietly sneak inside to investigate. No, you're going to drive away and call the cops.

The suspension of disbelief is just too much in this film. It's a battle of who wants to be killed more and who's more inept at taking an advantage. And when a victor emerges it's hard to care, not only because all the characters are boring as cardboard, but because they just succeeded winning the Darwin Award of the night in a rather fierce competition.

Alright, alright, so it isn't groundbreaking or revolutionary. Who really cares and why is this a bone of contention for so many? Most, if not all, of the stuff Hollywood churns out on a weekly basis is hardly fresh, yet it doesn't keep hordes of people from fawning over them like they were the second coming. Was "Dark Knight" (which I loved) new and novel? I don't think so. How about "Incredible Hulk or any other sequel, remake or movie born from any other source material, such as videogames or musicals? The over-hyped "No Country For Old Men" treads down one of the most worn out paths in all of film, yet it won an Oscar for best picture. The list is endless, so please let's put that argument of originality to rest already. If someone manages to create a wholly new cinematic experience, then I say bravo and I'll be anxious as all hell to see it, but let's face it, at this stage of the game, I'm not holding my breath like I used to. Let's face it, people, this is 2008 and there's nothing new under the sun, anymore. Either you borrow from existing sources or fuse as many disparate ideas as possible with the hopes of achieving something radical and invigorating. More often than not you end up with a dud. A perfect example, MNS too-dreadful-for-words,, "The Happening." Avenging trees and horror do not mix. Onto "The Strangers,." which I loved. I thought it was concise, brutal, harrowing and taut and it was all pulled off expertly by those involved. The camerawork was fantastic and the way the interiors were filmed, with deep pockets of shadows everywhere, turned an otherwise nice country house into an ominous and terrifying trap. The exterior shots, though ample, gave the feeling of crushing claustrophobia, the overwhelming feeling of being trapped even where you are outside and free to move. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman were great, their terror and anxiety both palpable and believable. The nihilistic ending didn't put me off, because that's life, sometimes. Nice resolutions aren't always part of the deal. For me, ultimately, it's how well the material is handled that really determines the quality of the film. If you have good craftsmen at work, who really care about what they're doing, you'll end up with a more than decent flick, more often than not. Here we have a very good example. If you are expecting some kind of epiphany, you'll be disappointed; however, if you want a well-made, grab you by the throat kind of cinematic experience, then I suggest you check out "The Strangers." I love good horror and this is a perfect example of it.

FINALLY!!!! A horror film that is intelligent with great acting and a story line so scary that it literally makes me feel a sense of panic. This is one of the best films Ive seen in a LONG time and a must own film for any horror/suspense fan. Its rare to find a film that continues to scare you each and every time you watch it but thats exactly what happens with The Strangers. Its great to see horror films taken seriously by the people creating them. Its obvious while watching this film that the people behind it really believed in what they were making.

If you are a horror/suspense fan and youre looking for a modern horror film with that old school vibe... look no further.

You should get The Strangers before The Strangers get you!

I hate slasher movies. They're cheap torture porn that doesn't scary me iu the least. I like horror movies that make me feel like what's happening could happen to me, that's what makes them scary. The Strangers is one of those movies.

There isn't much of a body count,instead there's a lot of emphasis on being constantly terrorized instead of just hacking people to death. That's how I felt throughout the movie - constant state of terror and dread. This movie stuck with me because it seems like it could happen to anyone who just happens to be home one night and a band of lunatics decides your next.

If you like torture and violent excess, you might find this movie "boring". If you want realistic terror without a lot of lame effects, you'll probably enjoy this movie. Highly recommended.

Pick the statement that is false about The Strangers....

1) About ten minutes of the first thirty minutes of the movie are intensely creepy; the rest of the movie is over the top and predictable.

2) Movie completely collapses due to characters that do what no normal people would ever do (i.e. answer the door at 4 a.m. without first saying, "Who is it?" / Leave girlfriend alone at 4:10 a.m. in isolated house "just to go for a drive" after a "strange" encounter / Explore isolated house and property instead of taking a secure position after multiple "strange" encounters / No one immediately calls 911 when "strange" things start happening).

3) Brazen, Manson-esque, "strange" trio seem to magically move from place to place.

4) Scott Speedman turns into a monstrous half vampire, half werewolf and Liv Tyler summons her true love Aragorn, and together Speedman and Aragorn defeat The Strangers.

5) I am sorry that I spent 90 minutes with The Strangers.

If you are looking for a mindless horror film that will shake you to your core and scare the pants off of you, then `The Strangers' is right up your ally. The film seriously had me shaking in my bed sheets and I actually lost a lot of sleep last night because of this movie, so I can honestly say that the scare factor here is very high. Sadly, it doesn't back up those goods with anything remotely intelligent. The big reveal at the end is rather disappointing, but I won't spoil it (although I've noticed that a few reviewers already have).

The film opens with two beautiful people driving to a cabin in the woods. Cliché, I know. That beautiful couple is Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, who play Kristin and James. They are already in sour moods beings that James just proposed to Kristen, who turned him down. The cabin, which belongs to James's parents, is not really an ideal location now, beings that it has been decorated with flowers and stocked with champagne in celebration of the proposal. Almost immediately after arriving though, their focus is shifted when a strange young woman knocks on the front door. She's looking for someone who doesn't live there. The couple shrugs off the incident and decides to move on with the evening, but when James ventures out for cigarettes things get serious. The knocking returns, and soon Kristen realizes that their evening is going to be far from pleasant, and it's not because of the proposal.

I was very impressed with Bertino's direction of this film. The scares provided are not your typical gory massacres, but they are wisely constructed thrills delivered by the right music, the right lighting and the right focus, and by focus I mean `camera focus', as in a masked man resting out of focus at the far end of the frame.

I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

The films first half is extremely successful in getting under your skin. With Kristen alone in the house and the masked people outside your skin starts to crawl with genuine terror. When James gets back things start to pick up pace, which kills the creepy a little bit, for a while at least. Once Kristen is left on her own again though, things return back to their original terror and we are taken by storm with genuine bouts of fear. This is a true testament to Liv Tyler's grasp of the genre. She understands how to register pure terror on her face without delving into cliché or even campy reactions. She is petrified, and it shows.

Like I said, the ending is a disappointment. We are waiting for this huge reveal and when it comes it fails to really make a dent. I seriously was thinking "this is it?" I really was expecting something a little more, what's the word, powerful. I've seen this same `ending' before, but with a little more thought behind it, so without that extra 'thought' this ending feels rather lazy. So, in closing, the thrills are there but the brains are not. Sometimes we just need a little scare. If that's the case, dig into this one. If you want something a little more intelligent then look elsewhere.

Far from the current crop of loud noise, teenage slasher films, this film delivers the scares the old fashioned way. Dread and menace is built until both the lead characters and the audience are stuck right in the middle of a realistic, modern day horror situation. The creepily masked assailants stalk their prey with sadism and without emotion and no easy answers are given as to their motivations. This is what empowers "The Strangers" with such a degree of power. People are killed everyday in real life for little or no motive so why not in the movies? Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are both great and for the most part avoid common horror movie cliches in their onscreen behaviours. Tomandandy provide an eerie and chilling minimalistic soundtrack which really adds to the suspense of the film. The Strangers isn't up there with films like The Shining or The Exorcist however it is a very noble and welcome addition to the horror genre and achieves far more scares then 100 Prom Nights could ever hope to achieve.