The Strangers

A Real Treat For Horror Afficiandos, 9 September 2008

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


This film certainly appears to have polarised opinion, and on one level I understand why.It isn't original, it is formulaic, and it does require suspension of disbelief. So for those who like to see genres "pushed", this will be tired and hackneyed. BUT, for those who ENJOY the horror / gore genre for what it is, this story delivers with a vengeance.

The first feature by Director, 31 year old Bryan Bertino,it carefully and skilfully deploys all the "tricks" required to make for a genuinely scary experience, and at 85 minutes the running time is only fractionally too long. However this is not a criticism, as an hour and a bit is about all you are going to get from a modest house besieged by masked assailants.

Liv Tyler plays the terrorised Kristen McKay with conviction and style. Sadly the only missing staple from such a film, the bare breasts shot, is missing! Her boyfriend James Hoyt, played by Scott Speedman, is well cast as the male incapable of preventing "bad things" happening to both of them.

Essentially this is a story that plays on our fears of "things that go bump in the night", literally, and works very effectively as such.The opening advice that the story "was inspired by true events" was a little unnecessary, especially as there was no coda at the end to offer further explanation.Neverteless a fine debut offering from a director who will certainly deliver more, and better, as his career unfolds.My 8/10 rating reflects its position within the genre - not out of "all comers".