The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review – These Strangers Feel Familiar

Have you ever seen a movie where some people attack other people, isolated in the woods? Does Friday the 13th, Knock at the Cabin, or The Strangers ring a bell? If they do, then you know what you’re in for with the first prequel to The Strangers, The Strangers: Chapter 1. Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2), the movie stars Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) as Maya and Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf) as Ryan. The pair are a couple who become stranded in a small Oregon town after some car trouble.

Thankfully, some locals suggest an Airbnb cabin in the middle of the woods. Unfortunately for them, when it gets dark, they’re tormented by the Strangers, three weapon-wielding, mask-wearing psychopaths. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is treading on well-worn territory, using a lesser-known cult horror franchise to bolster its story. It would have some merit if the idea was taken in an interesting direction. But one of the only interesting things about the movie is that this is the first part of a trilogy, all of which were filmed concurrently. 

Should We Run? Hide? Scream?

The story is fairly simple, and little occurs during the 91-minute runtime. The Strangers: Chapter 1 starts slowly, and it feels like the horror doesn’t start until at least halfway through – aside from the opening scene. Petsch and Gutierrez play a couple who are five years into their relationship, but they don’t have much chemistry. At least Maya’s an interesting character. Ryan not only makes awful decisions – like when to pull the trigger of a newly found shotgun – but he’s also incredibly unlikable. The movie mainly follows these two characters, so one-half of the roster is already marked down. The cringeworthy dialogue also doesn’t help.

Gutierrez doesn’t give a particularly good performance as Ryan, either. He does deliver in the film’s final act, but other than that I never felt myself believing either his love for Maya or his fear. Petsch does have slightly more to do as Maya, and she gives a great, terrified performance. There’s a scene where she smokes some weed before seeing someone in the house, and she plays the uncertainty of that situation quite well. Her deer-in-the-headlights moments are also quite believable. 

The Strangers themselves had a good screen presence and were easily the scariest aspect of the movie. But, they were lacking in any definable personality. Sure, they’re cooky, play piano and listen to records. But, would it be too much to ask for a prequel to expand on some kind of backstory? The Strangers: Chapter 1 isn’t too scary either. There are one or two earned jumpscares but most of the film is either violent or eerie. There is some good imagery in one or two of the scenes, but it wasn’t too visually interesting otherwise. 

The Strangers: Chapter 1 – Prequel or Remake?

It’s worth noting that I haven’t seen the original film. But, from what I gather, the plots are fairly similar. There’s a slightly comedic moment in The Strangers: Chapter 1, that I thought was an original and clever moment for what otherwise is a mediocre movie. But, that moment is just an altered version of a scene from the original. So, Chapter 1 might work better if you haven’t seen it. But even then, the idea of people attacking others in the woods isn’t original to begin with.

While many things let the movie down, it’s worth talking about how it doesn’t commit the cardinal sin of most modern horror films. The Strangers: Chapter 1 sees characters venture into dark places and we can see what’s onscreen because the movie is well-lit. While what’s lit mostly isn’t particularly interesting, it’s still worth commending the lighting team for their efforts. Justin Caine Burnett’s (After) score is barely noticeable, most likely because it seeps into the general ambiance of the movie.

The licensed soundtrack helps keep an eerie vibe, but it never pays off, and instead, you’ll be left wondering why these people did what they did. That seems like the point of the movie, and the franchise as a whole. But, then, why would anybody care? The Strangers: Chapter 1 tries to stay true to the original film but ends up being a mediocre horror movie because of it. Nothing it does is egregious, but you might leave the theater wondering why it exists. 

You can probably wait until this one comes to a streaming service, but if you’re an avid horror fan, you can watch The Strangers: Chapter 1 in theaters on May 17, 2024.