The Strangers is a movie that still holds up today as it did 10 years ago. Its simplicity, and restraint of using jump scares, really helps it stand out from others in the thriller/horror genre even when character development is, at best, minimal.
The Strangers
— Collector’s Edition —
(2008)
Genre(s): Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Shout Factory | R/Unrated – 86 min. / 91 min. – $39.98 | September 10, 2024
Date Published: 09/15/2024 | Author: The Movieman
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Note: The video portion is new while the rest was copied from my 2018 Blu-ray review.
Note #2: The screen captures were taken from the Blu-ray format.
THE MOVIE — 3.75/5 |
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This portion was copied from my 2008 DVD review and still reflects my thoughts today. Writer/director Bryan Bertino’s psychological thriller, The Strangers, is a throwback to the Hitchcock classics with modern day suspense. The Strangers is a simple film starring Scott Speed and Liv Tyler as James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, a couple whose relationship, as the movie starts, is on the brinks of breakup. They’ve come from a wedding reception and are staying the night at Hoyt’s family summer home. Things get worse when at 4 a.m. they get a knock at the door from a young woman who has apparently gotten the wrong house (she didn’t) and apparently leaves as quickly as she came (again, she didn’t).
Even after this semi-unsettling encounter, Kristen badly needs cigarettes and being the dutiful soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, James goes out to get them. While he’s away, strange things begin to happen as there are more knocks at the door, windows, other weird sounds around the house and… somebody apparently has gotten inside! After being terrorized for a bit, James finally comes home to find Kristen in absolute hysterics and soon the terror begins once again as three masked STRANGERS have sabotaged any kind of escape from burning the car, destroying cell phones and cutting the phone line. They’ve also broken down the oddly fragile front door so any refuge inside has been thwarted. The Strangers was actually a surprisingly great suspense thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The movie has a running time of 85 minutes (not inc. credits) and it is masterfully paced and written, even with a simple story. Add to that a fine performance from Liv Tyler does an excellent job going beyond just a scream queen.
As someone who loves psychological thrillers, I basically loved every minute of this movie. On a side note, why is it so many homes in these movies, and in real life for that matter, do not have peep holes? Would make things so much easier for folks being randomly terrorized by three masked crazies… |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Disc 1 (Unrated Version): Disc 2 (Theatrical Version): Strangers at the Door (9:37) – This featurette delves into the terror elements of the script. Deleted Scenes (4:56) – There are a few scenes that were cut down or removed, probably for pacing reasons. Presented in non-anamorphic widescreen. Last up are TV Spots (1:34) and the Theatrical Trailer (1:11). Disc 3 (Unrated Version):
These were pretty enjoyable, Bertino in particular talking about how he came up with the concept behind The Strangers (dating back to his childhood when a stranger came by while he and his sister were alone). Also nice hearing from the two actors whose faces we never did get to see in the movie. Still Gallery (4:02) featuring production photos as well as variety of poster art. |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Shout Factory releases The Strangers making its debut on 4K Ultra HD taken from the original Digital Intermediate. The 2160p presentation looks fairly good for sure although since the bulk takes place at night you’re not going to get amazing colors, even the couple daytime scenes are more muted. Still, detail was fairly good and black levels are nicely balanced and not crushed. That being said, I can’t say the difference between the 4K and Blu-ray was significant. |
AUDIO – 4.75/5 |
| The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track I assume is about the same as the one on the Blu-ray, but even if that were the case, this sounded absolutely fantastic. The bass goes into overdrive from the beginning and is sporadically used with more and more towards the climax while dialogue levels, coming primarily through the center channel, sounds crisp, clean and clear. |
OVERALL – 4.25/5 |
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The Strangers is a movie that still holds up toda. Its simplicity, and restraint of using jump scares, really helps it stand out from others in the thriller/horror genre even when character development is, at best, minimal albeit just enough to care about their plight. |