The Strangers
Movie Review
"The Strangers"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: B
Rating: R
Released: Friday, May 30, 2008
Directed by:
Cast:
True story: I sat near the front of the theater for "The Strangers," close enough that the screen filled my entire field of vision. During several key moments, I noticed that I was pressing myself into my chair, trying to back away from what was happening in the movie, trying to get out of that house before the bad guys got me, too. This is not typical behavior for a cool customer like myself.
Speaking of true stories, "The Strangers" claims to be "inspired" by one --which probably just means that there was once a real-life incident where some strangers broke into someone's house. The rest is probably fiction. But oh, what fiction! For what it is -- a movie about suspense, dread, and helplessness -- "The Strangers" is very well done, mixing old-fashioned tension with new-fashioned violence, careful not to overdo the latter ... but not so careful that it won't show us the blood when it's warranted. It is, dare I say it, a mature horror film, for grown-ups.
The premise is so similar, even in some of its details, to last year's French thriller "Them" ("Ils") that I can't believe it's coincidental. James (Scott Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen (Liv Tyler) are spending the night at James' family's summer home in the country when the place is besieged by three masked figures. They do not speak, and we do not see their faces. They are consistently one step ahead of James and Kristen's escape plans, and while at first they do not inflict any violence, we know that is their eventual aim.
This is the first film by 30-year-old writer-director Bryan Bertino, and I'm glad that he has resisted most of the unartistic impulses that have overtaken so many other filmmakers his age (e.g., easy gore and unnecessarily choppy editing). Instead, he starts subtly, giving us a creepy introduction to the masked villains, then gradually works his way up to a nerve-racking nightmare scenario that has Kristen cowering in a corner, certain there's someone in the house but unable to see him, while a record player skips repeatedly in the background. That's an old horror-movie tactic, sure, but it's a good one for making audiences feel just a little more on edge.
Bertino demonstrates a knack for creating feelings of unease, and he knows how to tap into our fears of defenselessness and of being left alone in times of peril. His characters don't behave stupidly, the way most horror characters do (though there is an opportunity for escape that doesn't occur to them), and the instances where Bertino effectively manufactures tension far outweigh the times -- including the final few minutes -- where he bobbles it.
Bertino's emphasis on suspense rather than shocking horror is laudable -- but on the other hand, it's unfortunate that he's not as agile when it comes to the payoff. After all, while it's true that a madman leaping out with a knife is not nearly as scary as thinking he's going to leap out with a knife, it's also true that he does eventually have to leap out. It's in those moments of actual engagement between heroes and villains that Bertino doesn't seem quite sure what to do.
Admirably, there is very little to the film beyond the basics. James and Kristen's relationship is addressed briefly (it's rocky), and then it's on to the evening's cat-and-mouse games and general mayhem. The film has no message to impart -- but it doesn't pretend to, either. That's where a lot of movies about torturers get themselves into trouble, trying to pass off their violence as some kind of social commentary when it's obvious the filmmakers really just like being gross. "The Strangers" avoids that can of worms and does what it does without apology or justification or explanation. And what it does is deliver more than an hour of sustained, almost unrelenting terror.
Grade: B
Rated R, some harsh profanity, some fairly strong violence and blood, sustained intense themes
1 hr., 25 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 26 comments
June 1, 2008 at 1:57 am
The movie was inspired by the real life murders in a small resort cabin in the hills of northern California which occurred in April, 1981. They were called The Kiddie Resort Murders. Not to give away any further info, here is the website... http://www.cabin28.com/.
June 1, 2008 at 2:23 am
If that really was the "inspiration" for the movie, then it's even funnier than I thought. The case you linked to had a different number of victims, a different number of survivors, and several other major elements that are entirely different from the movie. There are probably a thousand real-life cases that bear more resemblance to the movie out of sheer coincidence than that one does.
Anyway, where did you hear that this was the source for the movie?
June 1, 2008 at 3:33 am
Actually it was the Keddie Resort Murders and I read sometime last year about the influence involved. The film was also supposed to be released in 2007. Your correct that the case resembles quite a few others hence why they mentioned "Inspired" by true events. Apparently the case mentioned is mysterious and creepy and did give curiosity to a source. I liked the film a little more than you did since I think that murder case in California made the film even more enjoyable since I kept thinking about that case. Your review was "Right On Target" with your closing of almost "Unrelenting Terror" which it succeeds throughout.
June 2, 2008 at 1:48 am
According to Wiki, with whatever veracity you choose to accord it:
"The movie is inspired by an event from the director's, Bryan Bertino, childhood, among other things. A stranger came to his home asking for someone. Later, he found out that empty homes in the neighborhood had been burglarized. With that memory in mind, Bertino created this, his debut screenplay. The screenplay is also inspired by the events of the Charles Manson murders."
I believe that if the movie had the Keddie Resort Murders in mind, that would have been stated specifically. Thanks for that link though, I'm going to check it out now.
June 2, 2008 at 5:51 am
I saw the movie, but I don't remember an obvious (or even kind of obvious) avenue of escape that didn't occur to the characters. Please share.
June 2, 2008 at 6:35 am
These characters were portrayed without "Street Smarts" and basically had the thought nothing like this could ever happen. I liked that character image since the director basically showed all the weapons the couple could have used along with different exits out of the area. The couple looked as though they were raised in a old fashioned way that the world is a perfect place. That's what I really liked about this film. The filmmakers used the opening narration and the last words spoken to give the moviegoer kinda a lesson to be learned..."This is only a movie but this kind of thing does happen and will happen again."
June 2, 2008 at 5:22 pm
[SPOILERS]
The bad guy is breaking down the front door with an ax. The good guy has a loaded shot gun and a pocket full of shells. He blows the door to bits. The bad guy doesn't not only die, he doesn't understand he is definately overmatched and run for the hills. Nuff said.
June 2, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I just saw this and agree wholeheartedly with the review. The movie was extremely suspenseful, but I think they definitely botched the ending.
June 5, 2008 at 5:32 pm
This movie sucked. If this scared you then you might need to make an appointment with your gynecologist Mr. Snider. The review you give of this movie discredits your entire site.
June 5, 2008 at 5:51 pm
[SPOILERS]
Enjoyed it until these two contrivances ruined it for me.
1. The boyfriend takes off with the shotgun to go to the shed and leaves the scared girl alone and defenseless in the home that the bad guys confronted her in and were likely still in!? Guess he was still bitter about being denied the engagement :P. Seriously though, this behavior is neither explained nor consistent at all with the characters.
2. She breaks her leg after falling on the ground.
Still an entertaining movie. The scream at the end was really creepy too...it had a lynchian feel to it.
June 5, 2008 at 6:09 pm
[SPOILERS]
The escape opportunity that I referred to in my review was this: James' friend shows up, and they accidentally kill him. (Whoops!) That's sad and all -- but their next thought should have been to get his car keys out of his pocket and use his vehicle to escape. Yeah, the bad guys have probably disabled the car. But James and Kristen didn't even consider the possibility.
June 6, 2008 at 5:45 am
I have to agree overall with the review. The suspense made the movie better than most other horror movies in the last decade or so. The fact that i was in a theater with 8 people in it, and i could feel the sheer terror emanating from those around me made it a great horror film.
as for why the couple in the movie acted like they didn't think it could happen was because it was four in the morning miles and miles and miles from nowhere. i happen to live miles and miles from nowhere, and many people in my town dont even lock their houses when they go to sleep. it's all in where you're from.
[Spoilers]
as for why they didn't try to take mike's car...i don't think it occured to James to take his best friend's car after killing the guy by accident. Not to mention i feel pretty sure they disabled it (not that i need to tell you, but remember that his windshield got smashed before he went in...and the only one that we know was inside with him was the male antagonist), and another good point that i don't remember.
and finally, i just thought i would point out that i agree entirely with your assessment in the first paragraph. i felt like i was pushing myself deeper and deeper into my seat just to remind me that i was just in a movie theater...as if the fingernails of my companion weren't enough to remind me.
June 6, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Sorry guys I gotta be quick because I'm typing this on my lunch break, but I just wanted to mention that I think the "way out" that Eric is speaking of consists of taking their friends car and making an escape using that mode of transportation.
June 7, 2008 at 2:45 pm
The movie was great, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY SCARY. I could actually feel their fear, I could definitely see it again. Millie
June 7, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I thought that it was one of the most frighting movie's ever. I felt bad about the ending. I felt really sorry for the couple. I thought that the acting was very good. I have seen ALOT of "scary" movie's but this one was very scary.
June 9, 2008 at 6:48 am
You gotta give a lot of credit for first time director Bertino. He previously worked as a film grip (rigging and lighting technician) and had never directed a film before. He also wrote and sold the script for The Strangers. Apparently there was a lot of confidence with this guy in making this film and he succeded. The Strangers was made on a measly budget of $9 million and so far made over $37 million. It's no "Halloween" but it's close to it because of director Bertino's eye and man those sound effects were great! Longtime legendary directors John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino both started out in a similiar way and went on to make some great films. I predict director Bertino will get some great financial backing with his next film. You gotta admit for a guy who bought some books on film directing to make The Strangers, he did a great job. I predict great success with his future in film making partically in horror/suspense. Apparently he watched a lot of "Scary"
movies as a young kid and we all know they can be fun to watch. Director Bertino also had fun making The Strangers. You just know it.
June 13, 2008 at 7:09 pm
[SPOILERS AND SILLY COMPLAINTS AHEAD]
This was the dumbest movie of all time...I don't know what any of y'all are talking about that gave it any credit...What was the point of any of it...Why was the girl still alive, and why were their faces never shown?
June 15, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Horror movies needn't explain anything. The unknown element MAKES them scary. I would say director Bertino was influenced by Halloween (The original, not the sequels, or that pile of poo from Rob Zombie), what with the guy in the mask just appearing behind the female protagonist, her hiding in the closet area with the slatted doors, and all the stalking. I thought it was really good, and was entrenched in the movie the whole time. The music was pretty well done, too. I can't wait to see what Bertino can do in the future.
June 16, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Just saw the movie on Saturday. I thought it was really good-I liked the fact that it didn't require special effects or a lot of blood. The suspense was enough. I think the guy's mask, and the two doll masks too, were very creepy plus the though of someone being in your [vacation]home is horribly scary. The music was a nice touch too. Definetly think that the scene with Kristen walking around the kitchen in the beginning, having no idea of the freaky assasin just standing there watching her is one of the best ones but I am not too crazy about the ending, think it was just unneccessary. Overall, the suspense and the creepiness of the masks, especially the male one, are the strong points of the movie.
June 19, 2008 at 3:19 am
I agree with Eric that this was a really well-done movie with just the right amount of suspense and not too much gore. Gory movies aren't scary; they're just gross. It's suspense and surprises that make movies scary. I actually screamed at one particular part, but a few other people in the theater screamed, too, so no one noticed. :)
Possible SPOILERS
And Kristen didn't break her leg when she fell down. She hurt either her foot or her ankle; that's why she was still able to crawl around, but not walk comfortably or run. And the reason she was still alive at the very end was to give the audience one last "Boo!" before the screen goes black. It may have been a bit unrealistic or contrived, but it was a very effective way to end a movie, and everyone in the audience jumped about 5 feet when she screamed.
June 20, 2008 at 9:12 pm
By the way, I'd like to point out that this movie actually is NOT inspired by any true story. The opening narration is probably all bogus, because at the end of the credits the movie has the standard "All characters and events in this photoplay are entirely fictitious..." discloser. So it's kind of like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Or "Fargo."
June 20, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I loved this movie! I thought it was beautiful and not too scary. I am not much of a horror fan myself but a huge Liv Tyler fan so I had to see it. I jumped along with everyone else of course and at times I had to look down or something because the suspenseful moments were just longer than what usual horror films give you which creeped me out. I even cried a little at the end because its all so true, that could happen to anyone and there would be no stopping it at that point when all you have left is to look into the eyes of the only person left in the world, who you know you love and loves you
June 28, 2008 at 8:12 am
i just watched the movie tonight with a couple friends and wanted to add a couple notes onto previous comments:
the whole "avenue of escape" of taking my best friend's car prob wouldn't cross my mind either if I had just shot him in the face. the fear mixed with the adrenaline would, i think, cloud the judgement of almost anyone.
when liv tyler hurt her ankle/foot/leg/whatever, she had fallen into a trench or something. if you were running away from a crazed murderer, there's a good chance you wouldn't spot the big gap in the ground you were running on, thus making you fall in and hurt yourself in some way.
two final thoughts in regaurd to the question king posed; "Why was the girl still alive, and why were their faces never shown"
in my opinion, the final scene was there to add a final boost of fear and shock to the viewers. the fact that someone had been through that much and had been stabbed so many times, most people would assume they would be dead withing minutes. but the fact that she lived long enough to be found by the boys (and make one of them wish they had checked out the guy first) added one last bit of "umph" to the film. that was when i jumped the highest. it also made me connect a bit more with the begginning of the film when the kids were frantic on the phone with the 911 opperator. when the boys had moved on from the truck and entered the house, they seemed somewhat calm. but that final scream would have anyone so frantic on the phone.
if this film was actually base on a true event, no one knows what the murderers looked like, so why try to put a face to them. it also adds to the "earie" factor and makes you feel more spooked. the fact that Bertino didn't ever show their faces could also creep people out by realizing that anybody in the world could do this; crazy and psychotic killers don't look any particular way.
all-in-all, i really enjoeyed the movie. my boyfriend said he has never been this creeped out after watching a movie, except maybe the origional "Halloween", but he was really young when he saw that, and doesn't remember too much of it. as for seeing how it connects to anyone's life, i was terrified while driving home alone, even two hours after the movie was over. when you're that paraniod, even the smallest noises seem like they could be something huge. Bertino deffinatley has my support for his next film.
July 14, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I thought the moive was decent. What I will most remember is the audience. It was midday and yet the young girls in the audience kept screaming at every orcastrated scene disigned to illicit such a response. What I kept thinking ( being older than those girls) was I've seen this hundreds of times. Yet I caught myself clenching the armrest..shame on me..kudos to the director. I felt. Still the muted colors and the southern location accented by Country pop music ( Im not familiar with the artists who made the score) updated the movie. With the infux of growing transplants back to the south, I felt the location drove home the point that this sort of thing happens in suburban locations where more affuent folks reside outside the new southern urban sprawl.
Still it took me back to such classics as "LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT" and with the opening narrative "THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN"
September 4, 2008 at 1:01 am
SPOILERS
I liked the way the film developed and the suspense that grew throughout the movie. Did Liv Tyler survive in the end when she just wakes up and grabs that boys arm? or what happened?
October 24, 2008 at 7:47 am
This moving was one of the scariest movies I have ever seen... The fact that the attack is just so random with no reasoning behind it. Just like what one of the killers said to Liv Tyler in the movie, "Why are you doing this?! ... because you were home." That makes me never want to go up north to my cabin in the woods by the lake ever again! Like the movie said it was Inspired by real events, and this sort of thing can happen to anyone anywhere anytime. That is what makes it so god awful scary. I thought the movie was very well directed and the characters played their parts perfectly. I will say this though, if someone knocked on my door at 4am I probably wouldn't answer...
KNOCK KNOCK!