The Strangers: Chapter 1 – Movie Review (3/5)

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 is out on PVOD now. It’s the first movie in a new trilogy for the successful survival horror franchise. Very familiar yet with a few new details. Read our full The Strangers: Chapter 1 movie review here!

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 is exactly the kind of horror movie I cannot stand. Now, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but rather it’s the kind of story that gets under my skin. Instead of zombies or aliens, the horror comes from “normal” people. And that is scary!

From the very first movie in what would become an iconic horror franchise, the idea of strangers, who choose victims at random, just hit me hard. Well, me and many others. This latest addition is the first in a new trilogy from director Renny Harlin.

Continue reading our The Strangers: Chapter 1 movie review below. Find it out on PVOD from June 7, 2024.

Bryan Bertino’s nightmare continues

This latest trip into the nightmarish world from the horror franchise director Bryan Bertino feels very familiar. However, I do feel that there are a few new details here as well.

We meet a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) on a road trip celebrating their fifth anniversary as a couple. Their car breaks down in an eerie small town, which is another of my personal fears due to the many horror movies, I have watched.

In this particular small town, people are nice but several of them also feel a bit off. There’s also a religious element that seems to be looming in the background. Surely this will become a bigger plot element in the remaining two movies of the new trilogy.

Always asking for Tamara!

In any case, with the car needing repairs, the young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote Airbnb cabin. This is where someone shows up asking for “Tamara” and it all turns very creepy, very fast.

As we know from the original The Strangers, three masked strangers start terrorizing them. They show no mercy and seemingly have no motive. The young couple is simply chosen because they are there!

We don’t see the faces of the three masked strangers, so the people we do see faces of are Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez. Sure, there are more people in the small town. Including Richard Brake as the local sheriff. I’m sure we’ll get to those later.

Watch The Strangers: Chapter 1 on digital now!

This new trilogy is directed by Renny Harlin and all three movies were filmed back-to-back. Or rather, simultaneously, in 2022. The plan is to have all three movies come out in 2024, so you might as well jump on board now.

In fact, this movie ends with a “To Be Continued” message at the end.

The screenplay comes from Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland, while the story is still credited to creator Bryan Bertino, who continues to be a part of this horror franchise. If you’ve been a fan of this terrifying universe so far, then check it out now.

You can find it on digital via your preferred platform. From Prime Video to Apple TV+ or Fandango at Home/Vudu. Just don’t watch it while being in an Airbnb in a remote location.

THE STRANGERS ― CHAPTER 1 is out on digital on June 7, 2024.

Details

Director: Renny Harlin
Screenplay: Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland
Story: Bryan Bertino
Cast: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso, Rachel Shenton, Ema Horvath, Ella Bruccoleri, George Young, Ben Cartwright