The Strangers

Name: The Strangers
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Released: May 30, 2008
Duration: 86 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Gemma Ward, Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman

2008

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 448 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 448 Ratings

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THE STRANGERS

Movie Details & Credits

Rogue Pictures | Release Date: May 30, 2008

Starring: Gemma Ward, Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman

Summary: 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. (Rogue Pictures)

Director: Bryan Bertino

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 86 min

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Awards & Rankings

35	#35 Most Discussed Movie of 2008
33	#33 Most Shared Movie of 2008

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

The A.V. Club - Scott Tobias

It isn't particularly original--for one, it owes an unacknowledged debt to the French film "Them"--but as an exercise in controlled mayhem, horror movies don't get much scarier. Read full review

Chicago Tribune - Jessica Reaves

Bertino's taut, spare thriller is plenty scary without relying on pseudo-historical context. Anchored by convincing performances from Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler, both of whom elevate their roles above the standard horror-movie caricature, this is an enormously unsettling movie. Read full review

ReelViews - James Berardinelli

This is one of those rare horror movies that concentrates on suspense and terror rather than on gore and a high body count. Read full review

Film Threat - Rick Kisonak

Ultimately, The Strangers does succeed in the sense that it offers a riveting, vastly credible enactment of everyone's worst nightmare. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

The movie deserves more stars for its bottom-line craft, but all the craft in the world can't redeem its story. Read full review

San Francisco Chronicle - Mick LaSalle

Here's the tricky thing about The Strangers. Sure, it uses cinema to ends that are objectionable and vile ... but it does it well, with more than usual skill. Read full review

Baltimore Sun - Michael Sragow

All it offers is sadism, impure and simple. Read full review

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User Reviews

Elijah

Oct 19, 2010

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite what the critics say. I found this film to be a great textbook example of what horror movies should be like. Many people have a problem with the plot. But I think that this was a much more accurate example of what evil is. When they ask why are you doing this and the girl replies ("because you were home") That's one of the best and most accurate portrayal of what evil is.… Expand

5 of 10 users found this helpful55

JossT

Aug 16, 2009

Good god there are a lot of morons here who think they know something but show through their comments how pathetically ignorant they are. Obviously a few FAILED 'film makers' here....hahahha. Fantastic film. Scary as hell and delivered exactly what it intended to do.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

hornysoul

Sep 23, 2018

Devo admitir que fiquei bastante impressionado com este filme. "The Strangers" é um thriller bem feito que não depende de sangue ("gore") e de coisas que te assustam. O filme simplesmente confia numa atmosfera assustadora e no suspense. Eu sugiro este filme intensamente.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NigelN.

Jun 16, 2008

The plot was a little silly with the victims doing stupid things but there was genuine tension to be found in this movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

ydnar4

Nov 27, 2014

The Strangers was a movie I was eager to see. It looked like a film that could possibly be a flag carrier for modern horror movies. Sadly it was just more of the same old same old. You have to wait and wait in order to see who the villain is, there was really no peak or climax to the story.The Strangers was a movie I was eager to see. It looked like a film that could possibly be a flag carrier for modern horror movies. Sadly it was just more of the same old same old. You have to wait and wait in order to see who the villain is, there was really no peak or climax to the story. Although I did get scared 2 or 3 times earlier in the movie the plot sort of dried out after the first 45 minutes. Also in the end all the questions you are expecting to have answered slip through the cracks and no more is said about them. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are veterans who I would expect more from in a horror film but in the end they are just trying to play the stupid teenagers who all get killed in slasher movies. The Strangers is simply nothing special.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JeffD.

May 19, 2009

I'll give this a 1 for technique, but I don't watch movies for techniques so it really gets a 0. All they had to do was connect some dots. This movie was made for a non-thinker and that offended my intellect. It really sucked ass.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

SeanH.

May 28, 2008

I had a free pass to see this movie and I still walked out of the theater. Don't go see it. Bad acting. Bad writing. Bad direction. Just an awful movie and I love horror movies!

1 of 1 users found this helpful

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