The Strangers

“Explore your worst fears with this shocking suspense thriller inspired by disturbing true events.

After a 4 a.m. knock at the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler, The Leftovers) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman, Underworld) find that their remote getaway becomes a night of psychological terror as three masked strangers invade. Faced with inscrutable tormentors, Kristen and James must go beyond what they think they’re able to endure if they have any hope to survive.”

We are first introduced to the primary characters, Kristen and James, as they get back from a wedding to a James’ family vacation home and what appears to be a romantic gesture, with flowers and champagne. Based on the solemn demeanor of the two, it appears that things did not go as planned, as the mood seems awkward and depressing, anything but romantic. Gradually as we become invested in what happened between these two characters, we find out that a proposal from James was denied, definitely putting a damper on the evening.

Just as the two begin to open up about what happened that night and express their feelings, a loud knock at the door startles them. They open it to see a young girl standing in the darkness, asking if someone James and Kristen have never heard of is home. Telling her she has the wrong house, they send her on her way and close the door, thinking that’s the end of it. Then, when James leaves to get cigarettes for Kristen, we learn that the girl hasn’t left, and she’s not alone.

What follows is a series of psychological torture that is quite frightening. With something as simple is touching the back of James’ head while he’s in the car and vanishing, we are just as invested in this as the characters are. The latter half of the film definitely takes some dark turns as the night unfolds into something truly horrific.

I think what makes The Strangers so effective is the lack of motivation from the masked trio. Usually, slasher antagonists have some kind of reasoning behind their brutal attacks; Freddy Krueger was burned alive by parents, Jason Voorhees kills to avenge the death of his mother, but as far as we can tell, there is no reasoning behind this sadistic game these people are playing. Simply ‘because they were home’ is a situation that all of us are in every day and possibly why it feels more real than any of the other slasher films I’ve mentioned. It’s that fear of seclusion, being alone in the house with someone inside, fears that we have all experienced and seem entirely possible and could happen to us.

One of the things that I like most about the film besides the horror factor, are the characters. We are dropped in the middle of a situation and are left to figure out exactly what happened between the two of them. Instead of being told the entire story, we are simply shown the aftermath. It gives us a better connection between them and makes us more invested in them as the story progresses, as little time is given for any further character development.

After revisiting this film after a number of years, I do still believe it is one of the scarier films I remember seeing in theatres. However, there are some instances that make you scratch your head and question why the characters are doing this and why don’t they do that, you know, what we all do in horror films. These questions, however, seem to have the only solution that allows the story to play out. James has a shotgun, the killers, who consist of one man and two small girls, have an axe. There are plenty of opportunities to overpower them, but James and Kristen always seem to run back into the house. I don’t pretend to know if my logic would be flawless I were in that type of situation, nor would anyone who hasn’t been through something like that, so thinking about those flaws in that aspect I can forgive them.

Video

The Strangers is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1, with both the Theatrical and Unrated versions of the film boasting a new HD Master taken from the 2k digital intermediate. The film is very dark taking place at night, and lighting is crucial in both delivering an effective atmosphere, and just needing to see what’s going on. The transfers look good, with a good balance of colors, which have a mostly yellow hue throughout, reflecting the style of the older ranch home. No defects of any kind were noticed throughout.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds absolutely fantastic. The sound is one of the more effective tools the filmmaker utilizes in creating this atmosphere. The skipping record, the loud banging on the door and windows, it scares the hell out of you. The score is equally as effective at creating tension, especially when playing from the records that usually cues something frightening.

Special Features

There are some great extras on this disc, all highly recommended checking out, especially the interview with the writer/director. It was fascinating learning that the he sold the film to a studio, it changed hands many times, including several rewrites by other screenwriters. Eventually several years later, it went to another studio who reverted it to its original draft, and asked the writer who had never directed before if he wanted to direct his movie.  It’s something that is pretty much unheard of, and gives me a better appreciation for the film that it went on this journey that ultimately came back to him to make in his own image.

Also on this disc you’re going to see:

Disc One:

• NEWHD Master Of The Theatrical Cut Taken From The 2K Digital Intermediate
• The Element Of Terror – Interviews With The Cast And Crew
• Strangers At The Door– Interviews With Writer/Director Bryan Bertino And The Cast
• Deleted Scenes
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailer

Disc Two:

• NEWHD Master Of The Unrated Cut Taken From The 2K Digital Intermediate
• NEW Defining Moments– An Interview With Writer/Director Bryan Bertino
• NEW All The Right Moves– An Interview With Actor Kip Weeks (Man In The Mask)
• NEW Brains And Brawn– An Interview With Actress Laura Margolis (Pin Up Girl)
• NEW Deep Cuts– An Interview With Editor Kevin Greutert
• Still Gallery

The Strangers brings the genre back to its basic elements, creating an atmosphere of true terror that is relatable to any one of us. Scream Factory has given this a great treatment, worthy of placement among its Collector’s Edition series.