THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1
US, 2024, 91 minutes, Colour.
Madeleine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Ryan Brown, Richard Brake, Ema Horvath..
Directed by Renny Harlin.
Already in 2008, with a sequel in 2018, this story of home invasion, The have strangers, created by Bryan Bertino, had become a small successful franchise about home invasion, terror from masked intruders – with a touch of slasher.
The story is reprised here, allegedly based on a true story but the writer indicating that he was drawing on episodes from his town while growing up. This time the decision was made to make three films, three chapters, somewhat akin to a miniseries on television but several months in between release.
Even to those who have not seen the original films, the material is fairly familiar, a young couple celebrating five years together, travelling through Oregon to a job appointment, on a side road, a small town with some suspicious if not sinister characters, a diner, a garage manager, their car breaking down, accommodation giving them in an empty house in the woods. Just the setting for home invasion!
The masked intruders are direly sinister, grimacing smiles on their masks, suddenly appearing and disappearing, and increasing menace, the couple escaping out into the woods but being caught, some vicious torments, death…
And the young woman finally seen in hospital recovering… And the audience deciding how much they want to see the next chapters when they are released. For terror fans, always interesting. But for the wider audience, something of a take it or leave it attitude.
- The stories previously filmed, successful? Remakes? In three parts?
- A terror story rather than horror?
- The opening, the businessman, in the wilds, the attack, axe wielding, his death?
- Maya and Ryan, five years together, driving through Oregon, to Portland, her job? Their chatter? Audience interest in them? Off the main road, the kiss and the near accident? Arriving in Venus, the garage, the diner, Ryan and his superior manner, Maya making peace, Shelley and her giving them the lift, the manager of the garage, the car not starting, Ryan saying it was a scam, Maya’s reaction, the information about the B&B?
- At the B&B, content, the knocking on the door, and in shadow, the further noises, Ryan taking the bike to the diner to get food, the reaction of the locals? Maya, having the shower, the noises, the woman at the door, sense of presence, seeing a person in a mask, Ryan returning?
- The buildup of atmosphere, sudden noises and shocks, people in the house, Ryan, the gun, shooting the electrician by mistake, the reaction, the men, the women all with masks, capturing Ryan and injuring him, his telling Maya to go into the woods, her hiding, the pursuance, catching her, tying her up, Ryan stabbed, her being stabbed?
- My having called the police, the three strangers disappearing in their car?
- Maya, recovering in hospital? Sufficient audience interest to want to know what happened?
