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The Strangers

5.1

13,630

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2 Related Movies

Sequel:

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Reboot:

The Strangers: Chapter 1

Original title

The Strangers

Year

2008

Running time

85 min.

Country

United States

Director

Bryan Bertino

Screenwriter

Bryan Bertino

Cast

Music

Tomandandy

Cinematography

Peter Sova

Producer

Rogue Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment, Mandate Pictures, Intrepid Pictures

Genre

Horror. Thriller | Serial Killers. Slasher. Home Invasion. Based on a true story

Movie Groups

The Strangers

Synopsis

The horrifying events that took place in the Hoyt family's vacation home at 1801 Clark Road on Feb. 11, 2005, are still not entirely known. Champagne. Rose petals. Candlelight. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Kristen McKay and James Hoyt. But, after leaving a friend's wedding reception and returning to the house, everything had collapsed for the happy couple. Then came a 4 a.m. knock on the door and a haunting voice. "Is Tamara here?" "The Strangers" is a terrifying suspense thriller about a couple whose remote getaway becomes a place of terror when masked strangers invade. The confrontation forces Kristen and James to go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of if they hope to survive.

Critics' reviews

"There are some strained moments and audience grabbers, but after 45 minutes, things suddenly get very boring (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"

Peter Bradshaw: The Guardian
"This is no splatter movie: spare, suspenseful and brilliantly invested in silence, Bryan Bertino's debut feature unfolds in a slow crescendo of intimidation."

Jeannette Catsoulis: The New York Times
"The movie deserves more stars for its bottom-line craft, but all the craft in the world can't redeem its story. (...) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"It's a fraud from start to finish. (...) Tyler and Speedman, are initially presented as somehow dysfunctional; they mumble morosely and act like they've wandered in from a Bergman movie (...) Like everything else in the movie, this is never explained."

Stephen Hunter: The Washington Post
"[Bertino] knows how to frame a shot to make characters seem vulnerable. He knows how to use sound (...) Now for his next trick, he just needs to turn his talents toward something that isn't repulsive."

Mick LaSalle: SFGATE
"[It] might leave some viewers wondering what the point is at the punishing journey’s end (...) It’s all efficiently nerve-jangling, with Tyler and Speedman credibly registering every hue of panic"

Dennis Harvey: Variety

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Ranking Lists Position

80 My Top 10 Movies from 2008 (30)

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The Strangers

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