The Strangers (2008)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  5 / 10

  The Strangers survives on realistic terror but fails to create any emotional depth. I was so looking forward to watching this again, it had been years. I remember this being superbly scary. Now, this really didn't affect me and found it had too many flaws for it to be classed as a good horror film. It's inspired by the true events of a couple returning to their summer house and being terrorised but three masked strangers. That's literally all this is. There is no reasoning for targeting this couple in the first place other than "because you were home". It just lacked certainty and reasoning. I know that's the point of this film, a random attack where the film depicts only the events of the night. This is a fictionalised story based on true events, it would not have hurt to have some backstory on both the couple and the strangers just to add that much required layer of interest. I appreciated the realism, I liked the small environment and I loved the concept of tormenting your victims before actually ending their lives (I'm sane, honest!). However, when the characters have the emotion depth of a lamp post, it means nothing. I didn't care for their fates at all. Liv Tyler was extremely weak in this, her scared acting skills were unbelievably dull. Scream all you want, doesn't make you a good actress. Scott Speedman was fine I guess. The physical presence of the strangers were menacing and I found many of the jump scares were effective, even if they were just loud noises. Suspense and tension were maintained throughout, probably because I had to turn up the damn volume as the voice track was so flipping quiet! What was that about!? Had to turn up the sound bar to 36! That's madness. For all it's technical excellence in the horror genre, The Strangers lacks that connection which makes us invested into the film. Oh and that ending, really? You're going to conclude on a jump scare? I don't care anymore.

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