The Strangers
Includes both the Unrated (88-minute) and Theatrical (86-minute) versions on one disc!
Lock the door. Pretend you're safe.
After returning from a wedding reception, a couple (Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman) staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What ensues is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what either of them thought capable in order to survive.
Member Reviews
Creepy, Terrifying - Regina
I thought this would be one of the standard, schlocky slasher movies - boy was I wrong.
This is probably one of the eeriest movies I have seen in years. All of us have been in a place where there's not many people around, this movie will make you think twice.
Make sure your doors and windows are locked - and whatever you do... DON'T answer the door!Terrifying!! - 0930tracey
Open your mind, draw the blinds and get ready to get the crap scared out of you!! The subtleness of the terror is what did it for me. So many moments had me covering my eyes in anticipation of fear. This movie delivered everything a good thriller needs: a great script, fantastic acting, and chills-inducing scenes. I highly recommend this film!!Strange - Filmgal
Off to a slow start, Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as Kristin and James, your average couple on a romantic weekend getaway at an isolated cabin in the woods.
After an odd knock at the door 20 minutes in, Kristin is terrorized by repeated banging on the door, the windows, and the chilling sound of wind chimes on the porch knocking about. Tormented and terrorized by a strange trio of masked characters, the reunited James and Kristin go through the usual horror motions of locking the doors, hiding in back rooms, and fighting for their lives.
Borrowing heavily on the new French horror as witnessed in High Tension and more recently, Inside, The Strangers slowly builds up momentum through gentle pacing and simple shots. There are no jarring cuts or inverted angles designed as cheap shock techniques. Instead the mysterious masked invaders simple appear out of the shadows, creeping behind the characters, only to disappear back into the darkness when their presence is sensed. The randomness of their attacks as well as the random intervals in which they appear both inside the home and in the woods surrounding the cabin adds to the atmosphere of fear of the unknown. Their movements are unpredictable, inasmuch as a recycled film genre can be.
While the “home invasion” horror story is nothing new, there is much to be desired when it comes to motive and character development. While we are given unnecessary background details on Kristin and James, the far more intriguing masked invaders are barely seen, let alone are their motives explained. Unlike both the original German and recent English remake of Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (another brutal look at a random home invasion) the perpetrators of violence in those films have their motives clearly defined from the first scene- they are just into torture for fun. The Strangers leaves the audience wondering what the motivation behind these brutal attacks actually is.
An okay film.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Creepy, Terrifying - Regina
I thought this would be one of the standard, schlocky slasher movies - boy was I wrong.
This is probably one of the eeriest movies I have seen in years. All of us have been in a place where there's not many people around, this movie will make you think ...Terrifying!! - 0930tracey
Open your mind, draw the blinds and get ready to get the crap scared out of you!! The subtleness of the terror is what did it for me. So many moments had me covering my eyes in anticipation of fear. This movie delivered everything a good thriller needs: a ...Strange - Filmgal
Off to a slow start, Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as Kristin and James, your average couple on a romantic weekend getaway at an isolated cabin in the woods.
After an odd knock at the door 20 minutes in, Kristin is terrorized by repeated banging on ...