Blu-ray Review: The Strangers (Unrated)
I almost thought I would have to change my opinion
I gave The Strangers a rather harsh review when I saw it in the theaters (read here). As I was watching the Blu-ray I began wondering if I had been way off base . The first half of this film is creepy, atmospheric and damn good. However, at the 43 minute mark all the problems I had with the film came back to me as it quickly turned from an inventive and creepy thriller into a film that was its own worst enemy. As I said in my theatrical review, the victims in this film can't help but be terrorized as they continue to run into harm's way or become the source of their own distress.
The film features three nameless and faceless villains as they terrorize an unsuspecting couple just home from a wedding ceremony where the guy (Scott Speedman) asked the woman (Liv Tyler) to marry him, to which she said, "No," adding a bit of additional tension between the protagonists in the early going before the terror begins. Thunderous knocks at the door and a masked face at the window offer some serious scares in the early going, but then it devolves into one of those horrors where the victims split up, hide out then run and just continue to do all the things idiots do in horror films only in an effort to continue the storyline. Why can't there ever be any smart victims?
It truly is a shame the second half of this film is so cliché while the opening half is so inventive and creepy. All the tension I had while watching the first 43 minutes disappeared as soon as originality turned into cliché. Unfortunately for The Strangers I am grading it on how much I liked it and then ultimately disliked it. Had the opening not been as good as it was I would have probably been a little kinder in the end, but you can't go from great to terrible and get away with it. Writer/director Bryan Bertino already proved he had the talent to make a genuinely unique scary movie, so when it turns into just another horror film it is that much more depressing.
I will say Universal's continuing trend of using DTS audio on all of their Blu-ray discs continues to pay-off as the sound design of this film is phenomenal. The knocks on the massive front door are outstanding and, even though I knew it was coming, when that slap on the window occurs I still jumped just as I did in the theater. The picture is fantastic as the film is drenched in an amber glow, but the look of the film isn't enough to make up for the missteps.
As for the features it is limited to one generic making-of featurette not even worth the watch.
The Strangers is a film to rent and some of you may find out you actually like it, but for the majority I can't help but believe you will feel just as I did. I can already see you as you watch the second half of the film yelling, "No! Don't do that!"
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What happens at 43 minutes into it? I can't remember…
It's when James' friend shows up.
I just re-watched the film because I had to buy it the moment it came out – I absolutely loved this film in theatres. It's probably one of the scariest films I've ever watched, and by scariest, I mean freaked me out the most.
While I most certainly agree with you that the first half of the movie is better than the second half, I don't think the second half is at all incredibly terrible. I was wondering, though, what would you have liked to see happen in the second half of the movie?
(By the way, are they still making a sequel? If they are, I'm completely in but I have no clue how they're going to pull it off.)
It's not as much as what I would have liked to see happen as much as what I didn't want to see happen.
One example: When they are in a room together, with a shotgun, with only one way in or out and staring at the open door there is absolutely, positively ZERO reason for them to ever leave that room until it is daylight. Instead, they pull the same old, leave the room, split up routine we see in every horror.
My biggest problem with The Strangers is that the set up is so great and the second half is such a let down. It makes the first half a waste of my time and makes me sad because there could have been something truly fantastic about this film.
As for the sequel, yes, they are working on one and I believe it will center on Liv Tyler because she didn't die. (highlight to read spoiler)
Despite all the stupid things the main characters did (agree with u there Brad) I still quite enjoyed this movie. However I was extremely disappointed with the last scene…it was plain silly and is the reason I decided not to purchase the movie. It deserved a better ending!
*SPOILERS*
Did anyone catch the little religious messege? The boys that find them were mormon right? Right when they touch her she comes back to life. I am not exactly religious so I wouldn't know for sure but it seemed strange at the time.
That's an interesting way to look at it. I never thought of it like that, I always just saw it as a chance to scare, but you could be on to something.
Yeah they were probably tryng to send a messege, but didn't know what it was so they just used as a chance to scare haha