The Strangers: Chapter 1 tries and fails to relaunch a franchise that used to at least be a little, well, strange.
In The Strangers: Chapter 1, director Renny Harlin endeavors to resurrect the terror of the home invasion horror genre but unfortunately misses the mark, leaving audiences more perplexed than petrified.
Starring Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) and Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), the film follows Maya and Ryan on what should have been a celebratory road trip marking their five-year anniversary. However, their journey takes a sinister turn when, while stranded in a remote town, they encounter the familiar three masked psychopaths we’re introduced to in the franchise’s two predecessors. Despite the potential for gripping suspense, the execution falls disappointingly flat.
Horror devoid of scares.
Harlin, known for his work in action (Die Hard 2) and horror (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Exorcist: The Beginning), struggles to infuse the film with the dread and tension it desperately needs. Instead of building a sense of impending doom, the narrative is disjointed and lacks cohesion. Scenes meander aimlessly, failing to establish a palpable sense of danger, resulting in complete predictability.
Petsch and Gutierrez deliver serviceable performances, but their characters lack depth and fail to evoke genuine sympathy from the audience. Without a compelling emotional connection to the protagonists, it’s challenging to become fully invested in their harrowing ordeal. I found myself wishing Tamara was actually home so we could meet her instead.
The franchise is now mask off.
What hampers the film most is the protagonists’ irritatingly foolish behavior, particularly during crucial moments. While this is a common trope in many scary movies, its prevalence here becomes increasingly annoying. Instead of making rational decisions, the characters often act in ways that defy logic, causing the audience to lose sympathy and, at times, root for the killers instead. This insufficiency of believability undermines the tension and diminishes the impact of the horror elements.
The motivations of the masked strangers remain frustratingly vague throughout the film, leaving gaping holes in the plot. Without a clear understanding of why these assailants are tormenting Maya and Ryan, the terror they inflict comes off as arbitrary and ultimately unsatisfying.
The pacing is also a significant issue, as the film drags its feet through sluggish sequences that do little to advance the plot or build suspense. Even the climactic moments fail to deliver the anticipated shock factor, resulting in laughable moments meant to be frightening, as well as a lackluster conclusion that leaves much to be desired.
The bottom line.
In its entirety, The Strangers: Chapter 1 represents a lamentable attempt at revitalizing the 2008 sleeper hit The Strangers, ultimately falling short of the original’s genuine suspense and narrative excellence. Lacking in scares, substance, and narrative coherence, it’s a forgettable addition to an already overcrowded field of home invasion thrillers. Interestingly, despite its shortcomings, the saga continues with not just one but two forthcoming installments already in production.
As audiences brace themselves for the looming specter of The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Chapter 3, one can only hope that these future offerings manage to recapture the eerie magic of the original, or at the very least, offer a fresh perspective on the tale of masked mayhem. Until then, fans may find solace in revisiting the spine-tingling thrills of the 2008 classic, a reminder of the chilling potential that this franchise once held.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is now playing in theaters. Watch the trailer here.
Featured images courtesy of Lionsgate. Read more articles by Alyshia Kelly here.
REVIEW RATING
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The Strangers: Chapter 1 - 4/10
4/10
Alyshia is the Interviews Editor for InBetweenDrafts. A self-proclaimed pop culture enthusiast, she watches B-movies in her spare time and hopes to make one some day. Apart from writing, she is a publicist fully immersed in the world of entertainment.
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