“The Strangers: Chapter 1” A Flawed Thriller That Is Not That Bad

So, not too long ago, “The Strangers: Chapter 3” came and went really fast. The recently released trilogy received some very mixed to negative reactions from the general audiences and critics. And, I even remember not really liking “Chapter 1” when I first saw it awhile back.

So, with “Chapter 3” eventually hitting PVOD and streaming sometime soon, I wanted to give “Chapter 1” another shot and finally check out the second installment of this horror trilogy.

After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three mashed strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2008 movie “The Strangers” and its sort of forgotten sequel “The Strangers: Prey at Night” (if you haven’t seen the sequel, give it a shot). And when I first saw this movie a while ago, I really thought it was just a bland remake of the 2008 movie. Now, while “The Strangers: Chapter 1” may not be nearly as suspenseful as the previous movies before it, it’s an OK watch.

One thing that “Chapter 1” does effectively almost as well as the 2008 movie is that it has an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere. Some of the moments in the remote cabin feature the use of shadows that would make you wonder whether something or someone was there. Also this eerie town is populated with a few eerie people, you actually start to try to figure out which of them are the Strangers.

One of the biggest complaints from the audiences was that the first movie is largely a remake of the first movie, which I do agree is maybe not the best (at first). From what I

read online, the filmmakers aimed to create a new, modern franchise starting with familiar territory before expanding the narrative. So, after seeing that they did intend it to be a re-introduction of sorts, it does make some sense in a way.

“The Strangers: Chapter 1” borrows some elements from the 2008 movie that are a bit effective, such as seeing the Strangers appearing in the background of shots (in the woods, behind doors, etc.) while one or both the lead characters are distracted. And I’m pretty certain they used a song from the 2008 “Strangers” during some of the moments where they are lurking throughout the cabin. 

“The Strangers: Chapter 1” functions as an hour and a half reimagining of sorts of the 2008 cult classic. Critics heavily panned it as a “carbon copy” that lacks tension, while some viewers found it to be a faithful, creepy introduction for new fans. I’ll admit even though this reintroduction isn’t nearly as intense as the first two movies, it’s really not as bad as I initially thought.

Next week I will have a review for “The Strangers: Chapter 2” and will check out “Chapter 3” sometime down the road once it’s available on PVOD/streaming.

MPA: Rated R for horror violence, language and brief drug use   (runtime 91 minutes)

Streaming service: various PVOD services

• Director Renny Harlin simultaneously filmed all three films of this trilogy. His lead actor would film scenes for the first film in the morning and scenes for the second in the afternoon, commuting to many different locations for filming several times a day.

• According to Froy Gutierrez, filming of all three films took place in Fall of 2022 over a 52-day shoot.

• The film's script was originally 280 pages long based off of notes and ideas which director Renny Harlin and producer Courtney Solomon juggled between each other. They then separated the screenplay into three parts which is now planned to be a trilogy of interlocked stories.

• The interior of the cabin was an elaborate set that was specifically built for this movie.

• When Maya lights a joint and starts playing the record on the turntable, the song playing is "The Sprout and the Bean" by Joanna Newsom. The same song was played in the 2008 version of The Strangers.