OMM2024 - Night 15: The Strangers (2008)

 Tonight's entry for the #OctoberMovieMarathon comes from my friend Kris!

Night 15

The Strangers (2008)

4/10

A couple return to an isolated vacation home after a wedding. Then a stranger knocks on the door.

This might be a bit of a low rating for this movie, because it's decently well done. Shots are composed nicely, I like the introduction to the characters (very good use of show don't tell), and I enjoyed that it's not just a big gorefest torture porn movie. But... maybe it was my mood tonight, but I just didn't get into it. Maybe the payoff wasn't enough for me. It kinda feels like the movie is a bunch of buildup- but then nothing happens.

 

It did lose a few points for the needless narration and "based on true events" bit at the beginning. Cause it's not. However, your mileage may vary. I'd say give this a shot if you want some okay scares and a tense atmosphere. Just don't expect any answers.

I really liked the song "Mama Tried" they played in the movie! Maybe that was supposed to be a hint at what was going on with the Strangers, but idk if that landed. The song however is very nice.

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

 

SPOILERS START HERE!

From a quick Wikipedia search, it seems like the events that inspired this movie were a couple different murder cases/incidents. And even though I know it's technically correct to say "based on true events" it still feels a bit like a cop-out publicity stunt. I don't expect those types of movies to be accurate representations of something- but at least others are just based on one event and then expound on that idea. You could say everything is "based on true events" if you pull from multiple sources and experiences. So that lost points from the get-go. Also why did we have such a dramatic narrator? He never came back... we could have just read the words onscreen. I think the narration made me think it wasn't true- so that kinda backfired.

Ultimately I think the big thing that did this movie in for me was the Strangers themselves. At some points, it almost seems like they're magic or supernatural. They must have found a way into the house somehow at the beginning but I don't know how. The movie is otherwise pretty solidly grounded in real life, so I can't figure out how they got in/out at first and how the one was able to touch James on the shoulder and then vanish. We see him get touched and react and then a shot outside the car- showing no one was around. How?

I also dislike how they seem to just be there... because? There's no monologue from them or backstory- or even taking to each other. They just lurk silently terrorizing these people- but don't seem to be having fun especially. It's almost like they're doing a job? But we don't get any reasoning behind it. No crazy religious undertones, no talking to a mysterious boss, not even a hint that they're actually demons. It's just... people being murdurey... because I guess they just are? Maybe the film was trying to go for the idea that violence is unjustified and bad things just happen to people sometimes. But that contradicts the amount of know-how and work the Strangers put into this. I honestly thought that maybe the twist at the end was going to be it was James and his buddies getting revenge on Katie for saying no to his proposal. Instead it's literally some strangers who... wanted to murder? But the ending opens it up to a sequel with one of them saying "it'll be easier next time". Next time? Why? It seemed like you had everything handled well with these two what needs to be easier? Were you conflicted? That might have helped you feel more like real people instead of just "creepy people in masks" (which sidebar, I've never gotten the appeal of putting your villains in plastic cheap masks. I get it's supposed to be something anyone could get- but it just feels so cheesy to me, a huge turn off horror wise for me)

I did very much enjoy the quiet, intensely awkward and sad opening. We never see James pop the question, we just see the aftermath. The two coming home quiet, obviously having just been in a huge fight- and the house is all set up for a romantic weekend, rose petals, champagne... and they're just... trying to get through the night. It's heartbreaking to watch. You can tell they're still so close, and wanting to lean on each other for support... but they know their relationship is over, and it's so sad. But as the film progresses I can really see how they don't work together. James why are you so dismissive of finding your would-be-fiance crying terrified holding a knife in the bedroom? "There's no one there" Why aren't you taking her seriously? And Katie, why are you always whispering and asking what's going on? She really doesn't do much in the film aside from look scared and run around barefoot.

It's a well done movie, the tone is consistent and the scares are effective. But I think it's just not for me. I just never got into it, I was kinda riffing on it the whole time- though it wasn't bad enough to really warrant that treatment. Oh well.