But what of originality in a story that hinges on unmotivated torture and harassment? What more is there to say after Scott Speedmanand Liv Tyler have been tormented for a full 80 minutes by three emotionally barren, masked psychopaths who, when asked, “Why us?” deliver the film’s penultimate scare by answering, “Because you were home?”
Doesn’t sound like there’s been much wiggle room left for a part two.
But there was a part two: The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018). Since I’ve managed to avoid seeing Prey at Night, I can’t comment on whether the story is propelled forward. I suspect not, given that we’re only two films deep into the franchise (do two films make a franchise?), and we’re already rewinding to the beginning.
Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez replace Speedman and Tyler as the victims du-jour with Renny Harlin, former A-list action director and Hollywood’s most famous Finn directing. Getting Harlin to direct is a move that’s almost as bizarre as having Ben Wheatly direct MEG 2: The Trench.
But not even Harlin, who gave us Cliffhanger (1993), Deep Blue Sea (1999), Die Hard 2 (1990), and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), can flesh a whole story out of a single-note premise. And since Chapter One is not an action film, Harlin’s contribution is more technical than creative.
Harlin adopts the same tone of cruelty and dread that permeated the first film and possibly the second. However, the failure of The Strangers: Chapter One doesn’t entirely rest on Harlin or the film. I’m partly to blame. I have a predilection against home invasion movies (I have even less patience for the Purge franchise) and for stories that are stacked against a satisfying outcome.
But, is it fair of me to harp on a film for delivering the goods? Dread and cruelty are not unfamiliar nor unwanted traits in horror films. And there have been solid films like Eden Lake (2008), The Wicker Man (1973), The Mist (2007), and Drag Me to Hell (2009) that stand out for the very reason that they refuse to play nice.
So, what is different about The Strangers: Chapter One that has me at such odds with the franchise’s popularity?
First, I’m not convinced The Strangers: Chapter One will be a popular entry into the franchise. Harlin brings nothing new to the story but more of the same: the anguish of a lovely, loving couple who don’t deserve what’s coming.
The crime of repetition can also be assigned to Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, or any franchise that stays faithful to the formula that brought it success. However, unlike The Strangers: Chapter One, these films have the additional appeal of spectacular kills and dark humor.
Suppose that The Strangers: Chapter One (and the chapters leading up to it) are slashers for grown-ups. Ie. They are more innovative, less exploitive films that rely on atmosphere and suspense rather than violence and gore. This is a worthy consideration, given that the film strives for more than just teenagers getting axed. But labeling Strangers as an adult slasher catapults the franchise into Psycho (1960) territory where films like The Lodge (2019) and Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (1997), a film that could work as a prototype for The Strangers—co-exist in relative harmony.
