Film Review - The Strangers: Chapter 1
Images courtesy of Kismet Movies.
Home invasion as a sub-genre of horror has always scratched a certain itch, even if the films themselves aren't always particularly engaging. The mere premise of having the one place we consider safe violated, and becoming trapped there in an unrelenting assault just seems like such a universal terror, not to mention the practical benefits it offers filmmakers, in terms of keeping budgets low with a single location. The original The Strangers (2008) tiptoed into our collective nightmares, bringing the genre to a modern audience largely unfamiliar with previous efforts like Straw Dogs (1971) and France’s Inside (2007), yet supremely familiar with the adjacent but tonally distant Home Alone films. Then a decade later came the sequel Prey at Night (2018), which cranked up the neon-soaked 80s-ness, transforming the terror into a twisted dance of survival set in the confines of a trailer park. Now, we have The Strangers: Chapter 1, a film that drunkenly stumbles into the room like an awkward guest at a party, unsure whether to join the festivities or slink back into the shadows, rambling on about its plans for a trilogy.
The film picks up where no one asked it to, following a previous victim attempting to escape, just so we can get an opening kill. I personally will take this approach over the original film, which despite its best intentions honestly bores me to tears. Chapter 1 exists as a loose remake of that film, as we again follow a couple on their way out to a secluded Airbnb, as it attempts to weave a new tale of terror only for it to fall flatter than a pancake under a steamroller. It’s like the filmmakers took the original film, regurgitated its few good ideas (such as the iconic “because you were home” motivation), and then proceeded to fall into just as many narrative shortcomings with its weak characterisation and plethora of dumb decisions at the hands of its protagonists and antagonists alike.
Our main couple Maya (Madeleine Pietsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are idiots to say the least. Maya responds to the first inkling of someone forcibly entering the house by getting high and turning up to an indie pop vinyl. Ryan has an insistence on running headfirst into danger, completely ballsing up when to shoot or not shoot, and speaking way louder than he should, but none of these issues are anywhere near as big of a problem as the characters’ complete and utter lack of peripheral vision. There's also a tonne of weird script problems, like for some reason the word “weapon” is said about 10 times in as many minutes when they're clearly looking for a gun. I don't know about you, Ryan, but I don't think that screwdriver really counts.
I must say that despite being the world’s #1 hater of the original film, I had hope for this newest entry, for some reason (perhaps I'm just dumb). Prey at Night was serviceable as a slasher, offering up enough thrills to justify its place at many a slumber party. I figured if the latest chapter could be on a similar level, and set up directions for the rest of this trilogy to go, it could be fine. Directory Renny Harlin has said the trilogy will be focused on the fallout of surviving such a violent event, but this first film offers only the vaguest kernel of where that idea might lead, with Chapter 2 scheduled for release later this year, and the finale coming early next year (the supposed benefit of shooting all three films back-to-back). Thankfully there's a decent helping of funny-bad horror movie moments that include a particularly saucy burger, the ol’ spontaneously exploding motorcycle trick, and a singular rat being treated as if it's the most terrifying creature on the planet, but the overall experience is about as satisfying as eating soup with a fork.
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The Strangers: Chapter 1 is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.