A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Strangers: Chapter 1” (2024).
With this reboot of the 2008 horror film “The Strangers” (which has a bit of a following among horror fans), I’m left with a sinking feeling when a film like this adds a “Chapter 1” to the title. By researching on IMDB I see that there is actually a “Chapter 2” and a “Chapter 3” already in the can (through back-to-back shooting). But to be honest, I’m really puzzled where this one has the legs to go to a second, let alone a third, film.
The director at the helm of this one is Renny Harlin, who in the past has made such classic action films as “Die Hard 2” and “Cliffhanger”. Both personal favourites. And, to be fair, “The Strangers” has some tense moments. But at the end of the day it is just A.N. Other “cabin in the woods” horror. Sigh.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are a pleasant, everyman couple on a road trip to Portland, Oregon. When they stop at a diner in the hamlet of Venus, their car breaks down and they are forced to spend the night in a remote AirBnB cabin in the woods. They are not in for a peaceful night!
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong threat, violence, bloody images, language”.)
Talent:
Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Ema Horvath, Janis Ahern, Ben Cartwright.
Directed by: Renny Harlin.
Written by: Bryan Bertino, Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland.
Twitter Handle: #TheStrangers.
Running Time: 1h 31m.
“The Strangers: Chapter 1” Summary:
Positives:
- The first half of the film has a few tense and slightly spooky moments.
- Madelaine Petsch is a very good actress for this type of film.
- Styx!
Negatives:
- Apart from a couple of moments, the plot is a) utterly predictable and b) utterly ridiculous.
- I found the finale to be just plain unpleasant.
Review of “The Strangers: Chapter 1”:
A well-trodden path through the woods
We’ve been here SOOO many times before: A community of unfriendly hicks and half-wits; A lonely cabin in the woods; A terrorised group of people (in this case a couple); Baddies in kooky masks. A film would need to be pretty special to take that hackneyed set of components and make something good out of it. And this doesn’t achieve that.
That being said, the first half in particular has some genuinely spooky moments. As the couple are trying to have sex on the kitchen counter, a loud bang on the door signals a spooky girl in the shadows asking for “Tamara”. What follows is a bit of a spook-fest of Maya left alone in the house (obviously!) with shadows moving, a figure in the mirror listening to her play Beethoven on the piano, a “Baghead“-style character (again!) watching her shower, blah, blah, blah. While much of this is simply ridiculous in terms of the narrative, it is moderately tense and well done.
You can see just about every twist coming
This movie had THREE writers. And yet there seems to be a dearth of novel ideas here. Once we get into the ‘home invasion’ section of the film, just about every twist and turn in the plot I found to be utterly predictable.
It’s also really dumb. You find yourself asking yourself “why oh why don’t they call 911?” When they do, you think “Why didn’t you do that a couple of hours ago?”!
A finale that is just plain unpleasant
I’m used to acts of brutal violence in movies. (There’s enough of it in “Furiosa“!) But the finale of this film seemed just so cold, clinical and unpleasant. It was not just the weapon used but HOW the weapon was used. I was left with a bad taste in my mouth.
Madelaine Petsch is a class act
One of the surprises in the film was Madelaine Petsch playing the gutsy heroine Maya. She plays “scared” extremely well, and frankly she deserves to be in something much better than this (or indeed, any of her earlier lacklustre portfolio of works).
The best thing in the film!
“Tonight’s the night we make history… ” – the Styx track “Best of Times” is used and was much appreciated by this reviewer!
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Monkeys?
There is a mid-credit “monkey“. But to be honest it is so utterly stupid and nonsensical that it is hardly worth you waiting for the 30 seconds before it appears!
Summary Thoughts on “The Strangers: Chapter 1”
Given Renny Harlin is behind this one, the movie is pretty disappointing. Yes, it has a few moments of tension that work. But on the whole it is an unscary and hackneyed “cabin in the woods” movie that adds nothing new to the genre.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “The Strangers: Chapter 1”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pZUQmZdOi4 .
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