
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ – Review
Veteran filmmaker Renny Harlin turns up the horror as he takes audiences into a backwoods nightmare with The Strangers: Chapter 1, which is a creepy and suspenseful sight that will surely make you shudder.
After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.
Taking inspiration from Bryan Bertino’s 2008 suspenseful horror watch, The Strangers, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is not a straight remake but instead designed to bring a new audience into the chilling nightmare of this series and its unique approach to the horror genre. Taking inspiration from the Manson Murders and the very randomness of crime, director Renny Harlin and his team build a film that will appeal to horror fans and shock you when you’re least expecting it. While there’s plenty of hack and slash, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is driven more by sheer suspense and a ‘less is more’ approach, and this is a picture that truly builds out its terror.
YouTuber turned actress Madelaine Petsch takes the lead in The Strangers: Chapter 1 as Maya, a seemingly normal young woman, who alongside her boyfriend Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), is targeted out of nowhere by three murderous, and nameless individuals for no apparent reason. Petsch’s portrayal of Maya is a testament to her talent, reacting to the situation with precision and doing everything possible to survive. With minimal dialogue, the film relies on action, movement, and emotion, making The Strangers: Chapter 1 a chilling watch.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 builds on what has come before. Where the original picture was an exercise in pure suspense, Harin and his team ramp up the terror, and there’s plenty of axe swinging that will make you recoil in horror. While the focus is on the sheer randomness of the events that surround them, there’s a motive and more going on here that is yet to be revealed, and there’s intrigue that makes us want to know more in this developing narrative.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 packs a punch with its horror, delivering plenty of heart-stopping moments that will have you on the edge of your seat. For horror enthusiasts seeking a spine-chilling experience, this new chiller is sure to deliver.
Image: Kismet Movies