The Strangers
Directed by Bryan Bertino
Starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman
Rated R
Release date: May 30, 2008

Is Tamara home?

A simple and seemingly innocent question, but when James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) and Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) are asked this by a mysterious blonde woman at their door at 4 AM, it quickly becomes obvious we’ll never know who Tamara is or if she even exists. Shortly after the stranger leaves, scary things begin to happen around their cabin, but to say more than that would give away too much and thus spoil the refreshingly scary movie The Strangers.

In many ways the movie is like so many others in the horror genre (young attractive people being stalked by masked murders and all that), but the truly scary part is how easily it could really happen and, in some cases, already has.

The story claims to be inspired by true events. Depending on who you talk to, the film’s inspiration comes from events from writer/director Bryan Bertino‘s childhood neighborhood, the Mason Family, or the Cabin 28 murders. Regardless, the story of The Strangers is vague enough to be connected to thousands of real crimes, which is what makes it so unnerving.

The Strangers centers on an idea: the idea of random inexplicable violence by normal people. No matter how scary Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, or the other sadistic fictional killers that have terrified us on the big screen may be, they always have a victim profile that excludes most if not all of the audience. We can all go home and sleep well knowing they would have no reason to come after someone like us. But the strangers in this film have no profile to adhere to, no motivation for their actions besides a sadistic nature.

Bertino had to know this would be the key to the movie’s ability to terrify, thus he never offers us a back story or motivation for these brutal actions. When Kristin begs for an explanation, the only answer she, along with the audience, gets is “because you were home.” Faceless strangers attacking whoever they happen to find. Nobody is safe.

The idea is mortifying, but what about the presentation? For a first-time director, Bertino’s creativity is impressive. The uneasy, often wobbly camera gives the impression the audience is often watching through the eyes of another person without the over-the-top shaky-cam effect that deterred so many from films like Cloverfield. Still, the cinematography never feels gimmicky, with steady, static shots often revealing more to us than the characters themselves are aware of, a sense of dread and glimpses of an impending horror with the inability to do anything but watch. And yet you want to watch. This film teases your nerves, keeps you on edge waiting, almost hoping, for something to happen just to break the unbearable tension.

But will it hold up on a second watch? With so much of the film’s spine-tingling moments based on anticipation, it’s unlikely the tension will remain once you know what is coming. Sure, the masks are creepy, many still shots will give you creeps forever, but they’re unlikely enough to make you jump on repeat viewings. Even first-time viewers will find a few aspects of the film unrealistic, such as a car being severely busted up without making any noise or modern albums just happening to be in vinyl for the sake of the scary record skips that made the trailer so damn creepy. Still, The Strangers leaves you will enough unanswered questions to let your imagination fill in the blanks with imagery to give you nightmares.