Joe’s Review: The Strangers

So, during Sex and the City weekend, my girlfriend and I decided to see.. that’s right, a horror movie. So we trucked over to the theatre, only to see lines out the door, and into the parking lot. I would have taken a picture, but we were running late and my girlfriend pretty much said “No Way”. Good thing I can just walk in, because that line would’ve taken forever to get through! Our theatre itself was pretty full, but I have to say it was really subdued for a horror movie crowd.. you’ll see why.

The Strangers is based on real life events, namely the Keddie Resort murders. The voiceover that introduces you to the film is very haunting, and really puts things in perspective. Things like what happen in this movie can happen in real life. Here’s what they say:

“The film you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the F.B.I. there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005 Kristen McKay and James Hoyt went to a friend’s wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family’s summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known.”

Actually brings a bit of a chill to my spine. I’ll admit I’m not the bravest soul in the world, and this is definitely the kind of movie that makes me think twice sometimes, especially those closing shifts at the theatre.

The basic plot of the The Strangers is that a couple, Kristin McCay and James Hoyt, have retreated to James’ parents home, where James has prepared a surprise for Kristen. He wants to marry her. However, things don’t quite work out as planned, and it turns out Kristin is not ready for marriage yet. This in itself sets a bit of a dark tone as to what’s going to happen. The two decide to spend the night, and will leave in the morning after they are rested. After a visit from a strange girl, James leaves to get some cigarettes for Kristin. While he’s gone, strange things start to happen. Kristin’s cell phone disappears, and a smoke detector she took off gets moved. What they don’t realize is that they’re not alone, and things are going to get a lot worse…..

You’ll have to see the movie to find out what happens next. When I first left the theatre, I wasn’t all too impressed with this movie. It seemed cookie cutter. As I reflect on it, The Strangers really grew on me. The acting by Liv Tyler was excellent, and Scott Speedman was very adequate as well. You could really feel the tension building throughout the movie, and really feel for the characters. It feels as if it’s happening to you almost. As I mentioned before, there wasn’t too much screaming in the theatre, it was more a sense of implied fear, with people feeling anxious as to what would happen next.

The imagery that the movie had was great as well. The scene that’s depicted in the poster was one of the all time creepiest things I’ve ever seen. I’ve even heard this movie put into the same category as Halloween and The Shining. It’s definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for a gripping horror flick. Yes, it can be cliche at times, but it worked for me.

Rating:

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