The atmosphere is flawless. It’s lit in such a way that feels like you’re in an unfamiliar house alone at night. It captures that uneasy feeling you get in that situation. The ranch-style house feels so real and lived in, that I feel like I’ve been there myself. The first 20-25 minutes are a masterclass in suspense. Knocks on the door, the phones disappearing and going dead. A strange girl outside who seems confused and won’t leave. All of it builds and builds and drives protagonist Kristen, to absolute terror. It’s all wonderful. And I could watch it over and over again.
And then, the other lead character, James, comes back into the picture. After that, it more or less becomes a subpar slasher movie. The titular strangers move inhumanly fast. The couple is armed with a gun and still don’t manage to even slow their attackers down, much less defeat them. They make one dumb decision after another to the point where they’ve split up and Kristen decides to just chill outside on the pateo with her head buried in her knees, knowing there are three people out there who have been terrorizing her and her boyfriend all night. Not only that, but she knows they can get inside the house. I know some allowances have to be made for horror characters. Their bad choices drive the plot, and I certainly don’t know how I would react in such a situation. But the choices James and Kristen make stretch believability too far. And I don’t mind that they lose. I mind that they barely try.
Perhaps I could forgive that, if the rest of the movie were scary. But, the last hour fails to live up to that first 25 minutes. Sure, the climax is difficult to watch and it is effective, but it’s not enough to make up for the boring middle of the movie. The suspense is all but gone and instead we’re treated to some jumpscares and scenes with the strangers staring at James or Kristen while they are unaware. The first time that happens, it works fantastically. The 5th? Not so much. The only other real moment of suspense is when James’ friend shows up at the house unexpectedly.
I think it would have worked better as a short film. Much the way When a Stranger Calls works better as a short film. Bryan Bertino has this problem in most of his films. Wonderful setup and poor payoff. Watch The Monster to see what I’m talking about.
When I watch The Strangers, I can’t help but compare it to Vacancy, which came out just a year earlier. The plot is pretty similar and it follows similar beats. Strange knocks, etc. I won’t argue that Vacancy is an underrated gem. It’s not. But, where I think it succeeds over The Strangers is in it’s protagonists. Vacancy’s protagonists, Amy and David, are more fleshed out as characters. The problems they’re having in Vacancy are clearly spelled out and dealt with. In The Strangers, we know that Kristen turns down James’ proposal but not why, beyond a vague ‘I’m just not ready.’ There is a deleted scene that explores this a little more but since it didn’t make the final cut, I’m not counting it. I do like the shot near the end, lingering on their held hands and showing that Kristen is still wearing the ring, though. Still, character development is all but nonexistent.
Amy and David show a will to survive that I just do not see from Kristen and James. The latter two mostly meander around for a while until they’re caught. The former two fight. In that respect, I suppose Vacancy is a little more Hollywood with it’s happy ending. And perhaps The Strangers is more realistic. I’ll even argue that The Strangers is a more frightening film. But, Vacancy has a more satisfying story from start to finish.
The Strangers is a good movie that could have been a great one. I like the actors, the direction, the cinematography, the soundtrack. All that’s missing from it is a better script. The characters are weak and the story can’t sustain itself for 90 minutes. It’s a shame because it had the potential to be one of the greats in it’s genre.
