When I heard that a decision had been made to reboot The Strangers franchise, I was initially pretty excited. The first two films were very intense, and I wondered where the series could go. I then found out they were rebooting the series, and that made it a bit less appealing to me. I’m not a fan of Hollywood’s fascination with reboots. I feel like it’s always better to add to a story or write a prequel than to retell something we’ve already seen. That being said, I’m very excited to see the full story in this trilogy after watching the first movie. The question I have to answer in our The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review is, is it worth a re-telling of the first film?
| Release Date | May, 17, 2024 |
| Genre | Horror |
| Studio | Lionsgate |
| Director | Renny Harlin |
| Cast | Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Ella Bruccoleri |
| Rating | R |
Familiar Beginnings
If you’ve seen the original movie, this is like a facelift to the film. They didn’t change too much or add anything to the story here. A couple, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) and Maya (Madelaine Petsch), is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin in an eerie little town in Oregon. Everything seems fine until they get a knock at the door asking if Tamara is home. This is when things start to take a turn as three masked strangers stalk the couple. These strangers seem to have chosen them at random. The difference in this movie is that the townspeople seem to be in on the whole thing. There are various teases as to the identity of the killers through their conversations with the townsfolk, including a sinister-looking mechanic.
Maya and Ryan
Maya and Ryan feel like opposites in many ways, with Maya being very open and trusting (which is probably what put her in this perilous position), and Ryan being more cautious and aggressive. This is a stark contrast to the original film, where the couple seemed on the brink of a break-up. It feels like this is the first time their relationship has faced any turmoil, and you learn how strongly they care for each other through how they try to get through it together. It feels like one of the two is a standout character, which makes the ending feel a bit more evident than it probably should.
Better Strangers
The Strangers themselves feel much more fleshed out than in the original film. In the original, I felt like they were interchangeable for the most part. In The Strangers: Chapter 1, they each seem to have they’re own personalities. The one wearing the burlap sack appears to be the leader and the most brutal of the three. The ones wearing the doll masks feel like one is more methodical and focused on tracking, while the other is the attacker. There’s a lot of lurking in the shadows that the audience can see. This is mainly done without Maya or Ryan knowing that they’re there. I was happy to see they didn’t reveal anything about the villains in this movie. I assume they will in future entries in the series. If they do, the slow build will make any revelations that much more satisfying.
More Suspense Than Violence
The feeling of dread is very real in this movie. It feels like there are very few “safe” moments throughout the film. There are plenty of good jump scares that don’t feel too cheap. The tension pays off, and then we’re right back to trying to figure out where The Strangers are going to pop out next. Every time you think Maya and Ryan are going to get out of there, something takes away all hope. It’s a movie better experienced with a group.
There isn’t a ton of violence, but what is there can be pretty gruesome. There was a particular scene with a nail that made me clench my fists in discomfort. Most of the violence is achieved through practical effects, which give it a very real feel. There is, however, one scene with some absolutely terrible CGI that just shouldn’t have happened. It could have been done another way, much easier, and would have looked way better. It does fall into the horror/slasher tropes of “Just go, run away” at specific points, but the logic was sound for the most part.
Final Thoughts
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a good re-telling of the first film. I do think there was a step back in the vibe from the first movie. This one does feel a bit more like a slasher than some fans will prefer. It really does depend on how the rest of the trilogy shapes up as to how this one will be remembered. It’s definitely a set-up for what’s next, and I’m excited to see how certain pieces of this film will make more sense in parts 2 and 3. On its own, it’s still a decent film, but I don’t think it quite captures the original vibe.
