"The Strangers" Delivers What It Promises

If you enjoy staying at your parent’s secluded country home, or anywhere in the country, you may think twice about it after seeing The Strangers.

The film stars Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, and Laura Margolis, and is the first film for writer/director Bryan Bertino. This cover pictured left was released last year, however you can see the actual poster for the film here at TheStrangersMovie.com

The Strangers scared the hell out of me, as it plays on some very basic fears, and here is my spoilery review:

The Plot

The film begins with a male voice telling us that the events in the film are true reports of a home invasion. This in itself was scary, and much like some of the beginnings of horror movies in the 70s with the deep voiced-announcer telling us that the movie is based on true events.

Next we see two young boys carrying Christian literature, and walking into a house that seems to have the door torn off its hinges and blood on the walls, as we overhear a frantic call of a woman on the phone with a 911 operator.

The film cuts to the events of the night before. A young couple spend the night at his parent’s summer home after a party. The mood is somber, as he has proposed marriage and she said no. When they arrive at the house, it is set for a romantic evening, (rose petals, champagne, candles, music) as he no doubt predicted she would say yes to his proposal.

As tension settles, they begin to relax a bit (and start making out), but they hear a knock on the door. The porch light seems to be out, and as he opens the door, a blond haired girl whose face is obscured by shadows is there and she asks, “Is Tamara here”. They assure her that she has the wrong house, and she leaves. They both appear to be emotionally drained from the evening. At some point, he goes to the store to pick up cigarettes for her.

After he leaves, things begin to spiral, as three strangers, wearing masks, begin to terrorize her, and then both of them. The couple respond to each horrific scare, and the movie leads to an end that in my opinion promises exactly what it delivers. I think some would say that there was not much to the plot of the film, however, I can only say that if the intended effect was to scare us, then the plot is what it is! We have two very attractive people who appear to have done nothing wrong, and they are terrorized.

The Setting

The movie was filmed in South Carolina, and the house in the woods was spot on with scare, mainly because it looked so comforting. I’ve been to South Carolina, and it’s beautiful there. The quiet moments of the film along with the stark beauty of the location really added to the effect, especially with the daylight scenes. As for special effects, they were kept to a minimum, although there was sufficient gore to get the point across.

The Mood

The soundtrack was subtle, and the use of the country music songs being played inside the house added a horrifying contrast to the predicament of the characters.

Surprisingly, there were not as many cliches as I expected. The phone battery being dead, James leaving her alone twice (once for cigarettes?…come on…), and some female ankle twisting were the highlights for the cliches. I suppose the wearing of the masks could be a cliche, but these are so scary that I never noticed them in that way.

Towards the end of the film, you begin to want answers, which is the beauty of the film. The Strangers reminds us that sometimes things happen for simple reasons.

Image via Amazon.com