The Strangers (2008)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Bryan Bertino

Writer (WGA):

Bryan Bertino (written by)

Release Date:

30 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Lock the door. Pretend you're safe.

Plot:

A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.

Plot Keywords:

Mask | Stranger | Wedding Reception | Invasion | Crawling

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Liv Tyler	...	Kristen McKay
Scott Speedman	...	James Hoyt
Glenn Howerton	...	Mike
Gemma Ward	...	Dollface
Kip Weeks	...	Man in the Mask
Laura Margolis	...	Pin-Up Girl
Alex Fisher	...	Mormon Boy #1
Peter Clayton-Luce	...	Mormon Boy #2

Also Known As:

The Faces (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/terror and language.

Runtime:

86 min | 88 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #43588) | Canada:14+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18A | Australia:MA | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:R16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Argentina:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Italy:VM14 | Peru:14 | Germany:18 | Japan:R | France:U (with warning) | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Florence, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Rogue Pictures

Trivia:

According to director Bryan Bertino the film is partially based on an incident he experienced as a child. One evening, a stranger came to his door, asked for someone who wasn't there, and left. Later, Bertino found out that other homes in his neighborhood had been broken into that night.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Pin-Up Girl smashes her truck into the couple's car, the window shrinks, and turns into a heart-shaped crack between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: What you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005, Kristen McKay and James Hoyt left a friend's wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family's summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Strangers 2 (2010)

Soundtrack:

Ariel Ramirez

A Tale Of Two Movies...

Like many, I went into this (knowing) the basics of the story. That being said, I found the first half of the film quite suspenseful and creepy by modern movie standards. The story begins by developing the relationship between it's two stars, then separating them and introducing the terror. This worked, and worked very well in it's ability to set up (and scare the hell out of) the viewers. Unfortunately, after we have established what is taking place, the story seems to slow to a simmer, and eventually fizzles out. The second half of the film is filled with horror movie cliché's and cheap scare tactics, almost to the point of boredom... It's a shame, because I haven't been a fan of slasher films since the eighties, and I REALLY wanted to "Like" this film.

My recommendation would be to watch the first half of the film, then go and sit by yourself in a cabin, somewhere in the woods. The effect would be much better, and the film would serve it's purpose.