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    The Strangers

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I found “The Strangers” terrifying when I first saw it. To an extent, I still do. There are a number of effective scenes that fill you with dread. Seeing it again also make it clear that its protagonists are very, very stupid.

    While staying at his childhood summer home, James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen (Liv Tyler) suddenly hear a knock on the door. After answering, the couple is assailed by three strangers wearing masks who, for no discernable reason, want them dead.

    Something about the simplicity of the Dollface, Pin-up girl and sack head masks makes them feel legit and therefore, creepy. Like Ghostface from “Scream”, anyone could be under those masks. Similarly unsettling are James and Kristen: targets chosen at random. Also effective is the way The Strangers show how much they're enjoying this night. Multiple times throughout, they will do things that seem counter-intuitive. They cut the phone line and destroy the couple’s cellphones, but leave the power on and give them opportunities to wander outside. The loud banging on the door, the creepy messages on the windows and the deliberate attempts to unnerve their victims prove that The Strangers are after more than a couple of dead bodies; they want the night to last, to hear screams.

    Unfortunately, much of what works in this film by Bryan Bertino is canceled out by the script. James and Kristen are so dense they’re begging to be slashed. I’ve seen movies where characters might not act the way the audience would, but you understand their actions because of past traumas, relationships or phobias. That's not the case here. Why does it take so long for James to realize that something is wrong when he sees that his car has been wrecked? Why do he and Kristen insist on splitting up when they know they’re outnumbered? Why not simply arm and barricade themselves in a safe location and wait it out? Questionable decision-making isn’t limited to the protagonists, as The Strangers themselves also do moronic moves that brand them as not merely psychotic, but also (apparently) suicidal. It's the only reason I can explain them continuing their game even after a gun is used towards them.

    The little details this film gets wrong discourage you. Why set it in contemporary times? All this means is a scene where, somehow, The Strangers manage to find and destroy the couple’s cell phones off-screen. There’s also a scene at the end that doesn’t make a sense considering the film's opener. Most aggravating is the fact that these bad decisions are blemishes upon an otherwise frightening, effective picture that fills you with paranoia and choose atmosphere and dread over a body count. Without anything to differentiate “The Strangers” from the slew of other home invasion horror films and the few, but significant flaws found within its 85-minute running time, the movie falls apart. (Unrated version on Blu-ray, March 6, 2018)

    5
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    adamwatchesmovies@  10.3.2018 age: 26-35 2,866 reviews

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