Movie Review : the Strangers (2008)

WARNING: SPOILERS PRESENT I rate this one a 6.75 out of 10.

In director Brian Bertino's film debut, The Strangers is a fairly simple yet affective horror movie filled with truly chilling moments and sometimes brutal violence.

The plot is simple. Two people isolated in a remote guest house are terrorized by some masked strangers who are hell bent on scaring the bejeesus out our guests before finally bringing the hammer down.

One thing I like about this movie is that there is some immediate tension between our protagonists, James Hoyt (played by Scott Speedman) and Kristen McKay (played by Liv Tylor). Just after leaving a friend's wedding reception, Kristen turned down James's marriage proposal, so the two are left to sulk around the guest house being upset with one another. This negative vibe underscores the feeling of dread that pervades the rest of the movie. By the time it is all said and done, you are left wondering whether the two would have worked out their problems.

Just as things seem to be getting better between Kristen and James, and we get a good shot of Liv Tyler's legs with her dress hiked up, there's a knock on the door. Keep in mind, it's 4am and they are in a remote location. There shouldn't be anyone knocking on the door. But true to the "dumb guy" role that drives me absolutely insane, James goes to the door and opens it without so much as a glance out the window.

There stands Dollface (played by Gemma Ward) whispering a question and generally acting weird but otherwise harmless. James sends her away and our two guests are left sulking some more since their hot moment was broken up. Kristen realizes she's out of cigarettes (I can let that one slide as I know it does sometimes happen to even the most dedicated smokers) and so James offers to go get her some.

As soon as James leaves the fun starts for Kristen. More knocks on the door, heavier and louder this time, and strange noises outside. Kristen starts to freak out and calls James back from his errand.

There is a creepy moment when one of the masked raiders stands in the corner where Kristen can't see him, leaving you with the knowledge that they have gotten into the house even though Kristen doesn't yet suspect it. Kristen finds that the power cord on her phone is cut and starts to get the picture. Armed with a butcher knife, Kristen manages to stay safe until James get's back.

What follows is James's and Kristen's harrowing fight for survival against these masked intruders, all of whom seem more concerned with playing with their prey before killing them, making strange noises and writing things on windows with lipstick just to torment James and Kristin. Throughout the movie, I kept wondering if this was what it was like for the Tate family during the Charlie Manson murders.

The one major drawback to this movie, and something that lumps it in with every other average horror movie, is that the protagonists, especially James, make the most ridiculous decisions. James is reduced to a simple mindedness that is almost insulting. He goes outside to check on his car even though he knows he's outnumbered by some potentially violent people. He even managed to speak the line that is always spoken by the "dumb guy", you know the one, the you stay here while I check it out line. And then, even after they had figured out that the strangers had gotten into the house, James decides to head out to the barn to check the short wave radio out there, leaving poor Kristen behind...AGAIN!

What's wrong with sticking together once in a while?

Sure, it wouldn't be much of a movie without some random stupidity from our beloved protagonists, but I only have enough room for five or six of those parts in any movie before I start feeling the quality drop.

Regardless of those irritating scenes, The Strangers is quite good in comparison to many of the horror movies of the past few years. Bertino manages to create a sense of loathing and helplessness for Kristen and James that remains strong throughout the movie. Their efforts to fight back, while ending up in disappointment, were good and satisfying moments.

Bertino successfully uses strange outdoor noises, a smoke detector, and some eerie songs played on an old record player to jolt you, disturb you, and build the tension to a maddening level. His camera views lend an almost voyeuristic feel to the movie, and the overall pace is good and solid, ratcheting up the tension with every scene.

Both actors did well even though their actions were sometimes questionable. Liv Tyler did an outstanding job as "the vulnerable woman". Her terror was genuine, her face a mask of desperation and worry throughout the movie. Although I've always enjoyed Liv Tyler's acting, I honestly did not expect her to pull the "scream queen" role off so well. I was pleasantly surprised.

This is one you should think about owning. I rate it a 6.75 out of 10.