The Strangers: Chapter 1 review — A familiar yet frightening home invasion horror

The Strangers: Chapter 1 doesn’t quite match the gritty realism of the original, but it’s an effective reimagining of the home invasion tale, anchored by the confident direction of Renny Harlin, a well-paced, unsettling buildup, and a healthy dose of brutality. 

Bryan Bertino’s 2008 horror movie The Strangers left plenty of unanswered questions. Who are the strangers? Why the masks? And who the f*ck is Tamara? But the point is it didn’t have to. 

Where the likes of Scream, Friday the 13th, and Halloween bank on twists and backstories, the masked assailants in The Strangers were malicious just because. It’s effective in its simplicity; this could happen to any one of us, and that’s what makes it so scary. 

Although it didn’t need an extension, The Strangers: Prey at Night was a surprisingly competent sequel. And now the story is getting a new beginning with an upcoming trilogy of films, starting with The Strangers: Chapter 1.

A corny yet competent first act 

The movie opens with a title card, telling viewers the same statistic seen in the original: according to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in the US each year. 

But, rather than pretending that what follows is based on true events, we’re told, “This story is one of the most brutal.” It’s a small but effective detail, driving home the franchise’s grounded brand of horror. 

The first act establishes the story of our leading couple. Replacing the strained dynamic portrayed by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman is Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez’s bubble-gum pop version, Maya and Ryan. 

They don’t ruminate on their relationship failures; they say cute, quippy remarks to each other and make the best out of a bad situation. Scribes Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland pack this shanter with key details about the characters’ backstories. In this sense, their interactions can seem unnatural to begin. 

Coupled with the stylized country setting and it feels almost like watching one of the teen dramas Petsch and Gutierrez graduated from. But that’s not to discredit their performances; even if a little on-the-nose at times, their on-screen chemistry is fun to watch. 

The setup is familiarly simple: Maya and Ryan’s car breaks down in Oregon, derailing their road trip to a friend’s wedding. The Hills Have Eyes-esque locals aren’t much help — they can’t fix the car until morning.

Until then, they’ve got just one choice: spending a night at the only Airbnb in the town, which just so happens to be a cabin in the woods. 

The Strangers come a-knocking

When a mysterious girl knocks at their door asking for “Tamara,” we know the fun is about to begin. It’s only a matter of time before Dollface, Pin Up Girl, and the Man in the Mask pay an unwanted visit. 

That said, this background knowledge barely hinders the buildup. The sound design plays a huge role in tension-building, blending silence with a chilling score by former Hans Zimmer assistant Justin Burnett. There are plenty of homages to the original in this area; those dreaded pounding knocks at the door never miss.

With Harlin’s varied oeuvre (Deep Blue Sea being a personal highlight), he’s got the experience to direct confidently, delivering a striking aesthetic to the film. His use of POV shots early on creates a sense of voyeurism but he doesn’t overdo it, and the same goes for the jumpscares. 

The pacing is noteworthy too, its tight 90-minute runtime wasting no time in getting to the good stuff. And when it does, it’s unrelenting. The Strangers: Chapter 1 doesn’t hold back on the brutality; one moment in particular had me audibly gasping in the cinema. 

The omnipotent killers are cruel as ever, biding their time as they torment their victims. It’s when the going gets tough that Petsch and Gutierrez really settle into their performances, the former in particular proving to be an excellent scream queen. 

Without entering spoiler territory, let’s just say there are some narrative surprises along the way, culminating in an ending that sets up what’s to come in Harlin’s two follow-ups. All three entries to his Strangers trilogy were shot back-to-back, meaning there’s no wondering whether a sequel will be greenlit. 

The finale features some familiar tropes but it teases just enough to make The Strangers: Chapter 1 work as a standalone movie while also sparking intrigue about what’s to come. Until then, best double lock those doors at night.   

The Strangers: Chapter 1 review verdict: 3/5

Though The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a tad generic, it’s an effective slasher that sets the tone for what’s to come in the remaining trilogy. A corny first act is more than made up for with brutality and chills, with enough surprises for it to stand on its own. 

The Strangers: Chapter 1 arrives in cinemas on May 17. Until then, be sure to check out all of the horror movies to get excited about in 2024, as well as new movies coming out this month.