Skip to content 
The Strangers: Chapter 1
By Rennie Harlin
Back in 2008, the world was gifted with an exciting home invasion horror film that truly set a new standard for the subgenre. strangersStarring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, it knocked it out of the park and the movie still holds up.
I think what makes home invasion such an actual horror subgenre is that there are no roots in the paranormal or the metaphysical, just plain old scary people being afraid of other people, and that’s part of what made the original Strangers movie stand out. Of course, masks have always been around, icons like Jason, Leatherface and Ghostface immediately spring to mind, but in the 2010s a new take on it came with films like you are next and cleaning series and I can’t help but think that the masked home invaders are entering strangers Played a big role in this new generation of attractive horror masks that psychos wear before resorting to terrorism.
Now, fast-forward to the present day, and we’ve got this subpar excuse for re-imagining the original film. The Strangers: Chapter 1 was poorly marketed and quite misleading, with many thinking it was a prequel, many thinking it was an expansion of the original universe. What we got instead was an attempt to create a “who-is-it” town full of Pacific Northwest hills that destroys the mystery and horror of masked invaders. I think it was a clever attempt at misdirection, but it just felt like a trick that didn’t work.
The main characters were cast incorrectly because, at first glance, I thought they were siblings. Then you realize they’re a couple, but the chemistry is so bad that the relationship never gets off the ground, and to be honest, it would have made more of a plot effort if they were siblings. The on-screen relationship was so forced and awkward that I would have preferred something else.
The film is a lazy remake with eye-rolling predictability and a silent first act. One jump really got me, but in 2024 that can’t be a measure of greatness. I think it would be a cool idea to call this movie something else, and just focus on a weird town of creepy locals who like to fight outsiders. Another tired trope, sure, but at least something that can be done in good time and doesn’t disguise itself as a “re-imagining”.
Save money and time, just watch 2008 strangers.
