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The Strangers (2008)
Sends Chills Down Your Spine
Directed By: Bryan Bertino
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, & Glenn Howerton
MPAA Rating: “R” (for violence/terror and language)
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, & Glenn Howerton
MPAA Rating: “R” (for violence/terror and language)
Mainstream American cinema is not producing films like The Strangers anymore. For whatever reason (ahem...money), Hollywood producers are so focused on tossing as much crap as possible at theaters. Remakes are the hottest thing nowadays, because they are so easy to make. Films that lack scares and suspense are thrown out nearly every weekend. Toss in a killer, a bunch of future corpses, a knife or two, blend it to a puree, sprinkle a dash of cheap jump scares and a bit of humor on top, and serve. So, color me surprised when I plopped down in my uncomfortable theater chair and got served something completely different. Yes, there was some semblance of more familiar dishes, but the big bite behind it all made it so much better.
It was supposed to be the night they would both remember for James (Speedman) and Kristen (Tyler). It seemed like the perfect plan; he would propose and they would spend an intimate night together at his family’s secluded summer home. The first kink in his evening, however, is when Kristen turns down the proposal, insisting that she just isn’t ready. The second is when a mysterious blonde woman knocks on the door at four o’clock in the morning. She asks for someone who isn’t there and they promptly send her away. However, she does not go away...and she is not alone. Quickly, Kristen and James realize that this was not just a random encounter...or was it? All they know is that the strangers who arrived in the night want them dead and the only thing worse than dying is living to see what they have planned.
Horror films tend to find a relatively young cast of rising stars and CW alums that are known more for their pearly whites than their talent. Think Jessica Alba, Brittany Snow, Shannyn Sossamon, and a slew of others. There is nothing wrong with any of these actresses (all of the ones I mentioned are quite talented and most of the others are decent as well), but they just scream for a teen audience. Because of this, we all know that, when one of these names is on the theater marquee, we can expect a teen-focused film...you know, the kind of movie focused on people who think One Missed Call (2008) was the scariest movie like ever! So, it is a credit to The Strangers that Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman headline. It’s a great cast and both of them work so well together. We relate to them, like them, and desperately want to see them survive. Throw most other actors and actresses into the same roles and you have a far inferior film.
On top of the wonderful cast, The Strangers also sports an eerie musical score, a dreary and chill-inducing atmosphere, a mean edge that ran from beginning to end, and a tense direction that captures it all beautifully. All of these components come together to form a truly scary movie that, at a brisk 85 minutes, rockets along with one jolt after another. Once it latches onto our throats, we are pulled viciously through each and every scene like some worthless rag doll. All of this leads up to a maniacal conclusion that proceeds to rip our throat outs and toss them aside, leaving us to pick up the pieces. On the flipside, our characters do manage to make a string of silly mistakes that only serve the plot, forcing us to groan for a large chunk of the midsection. For crying out loud, either just start running and never look back or take the shotgun and start shooting! However, my groans were quickly interrupted by my screams as, just when the movie seemed to be slowing down, it would deliver yet another pulse-pounded suspense bit. If you haven’t been visited by the strangers yet, I definitely recommend you invite them over soon.
It was supposed to be the night they would both remember for James (Speedman) and Kristen (Tyler). It seemed like the perfect plan; he would propose and they would spend an intimate night together at his family’s secluded summer home. The first kink in his evening, however, is when Kristen turns down the proposal, insisting that she just isn’t ready. The second is when a mysterious blonde woman knocks on the door at four o’clock in the morning. She asks for someone who isn’t there and they promptly send her away. However, she does not go away...and she is not alone. Quickly, Kristen and James realize that this was not just a random encounter...or was it? All they know is that the strangers who arrived in the night want them dead and the only thing worse than dying is living to see what they have planned.
Horror films tend to find a relatively young cast of rising stars and CW alums that are known more for their pearly whites than their talent. Think Jessica Alba, Brittany Snow, Shannyn Sossamon, and a slew of others. There is nothing wrong with any of these actresses (all of the ones I mentioned are quite talented and most of the others are decent as well), but they just scream for a teen audience. Because of this, we all know that, when one of these names is on the theater marquee, we can expect a teen-focused film...you know, the kind of movie focused on people who think One Missed Call (2008) was the scariest movie like ever! So, it is a credit to The Strangers that Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman headline. It’s a great cast and both of them work so well together. We relate to them, like them, and desperately want to see them survive. Throw most other actors and actresses into the same roles and you have a far inferior film.
On top of the wonderful cast, The Strangers also sports an eerie musical score, a dreary and chill-inducing atmosphere, a mean edge that ran from beginning to end, and a tense direction that captures it all beautifully. All of these components come together to form a truly scary movie that, at a brisk 85 minutes, rockets along with one jolt after another. Once it latches onto our throats, we are pulled viciously through each and every scene like some worthless rag doll. All of this leads up to a maniacal conclusion that proceeds to rip our throat outs and toss them aside, leaving us to pick up the pieces. On the flipside, our characters do manage to make a string of silly mistakes that only serve the plot, forcing us to groan for a large chunk of the midsection. For crying out loud, either just start running and never look back or take the shotgun and start shooting! However, my groans were quickly interrupted by my screams as, just when the movie seemed to be slowing down, it would deliver yet another pulse-pounded suspense bit. If you haven’t been visited by the strangers yet, I definitely recommend you invite them over soon.
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