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 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 526 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 526 Ratings

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The Strangers: James Finds Krsten Cowering In The Bedroom

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Movie Details & Credits

Rogue Pictures | Release Date: May 30, 2008 | R

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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Critic Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 of 34 users found this helpful286

cameronmorewood

Nov 12, 2012

It's a first-rate suspense show, that scares us not because it shocks us, but because it lurks in the shadows slyly knowing we're expecting it to jump out. But it doesn't. It just leaves us hanging- and it's all the more satisfying because of it.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

FilmVirtue

Jun 25, 2015

Believe it or not, The Strangers is exceptional. Sure you can say, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream are amazing horror films. They are, but do they ever manage to tap into the realistic fears of the human mind. No. The Strangers does by taking the most simplistic (andBelieve it or not, The Strangers is exceptional. Sure you can say, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream are amazing horror films. They are, but do they ever manage to tap into the realistic fears of the human mind. No. The Strangers does by taking the most simplistic (and realistic) fears of the human mind and combines them into a film that will most likely cause nightmares. A remote getaway, night hours, and three masked killers that our protagonists can never really get a grip on. The film has very brief moments of cliche's (For Example: The use of the film tactic "One second there, the next second gone") but can we fault them on that? Of course you can but should you? No film can be perfect, and The Strangers knows that, working with what it has handed to them. Some will hate the film, particularly It's choice of finale, which I was never to fond of myself, but accepted nonetheless. The Strangers is horrifying with the most simplistic elements, and that's what scares us most.… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

GeorgeM

Oct 29, 2008

This is a movie i was itching to see, and now that i have.....i wonder just what it was that had me itching, because it was rather disappointing and just borderline above average. first of all, this is NOT a very gory or graphic film....second of all, its FULL of your standard crap horror This is a movie i was itching to see, and now that i have.....i wonder just what it was that had me itching, because it was rather disappointing and just borderline above average. first of all, this is NOT a very gory or graphic film....second of all, its FULL of your standard crap horror cliches (the killers are like Ninjas)....and thirdly....it ENDS just like you typical horror movie shlock, which i won't spoil for you but i can assure you.....MOST will roll their eyes to it. the story is interesting, its the execution thats uninspired and whats mean to be suspenseful and scary is really just annoying and silly.....the killers come off as more annoying and juvenile throughout the film instead of overbearing and terrifying.....like a bunch of bored 16 year olds that got to deep into a prank and killing became there only option.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

imthenoob

Nov 28, 2017

The performances were decent, The characters were relatable and the premise was interesting but not entirely original. Sadly, The movie simply fails to capture me in the way that it should have. I mainly attribute that due to the terrible choices the characters seem to make throughout theThe performances were decent, The characters were relatable and the premise was interesting but not entirely original. Sadly, The movie simply fails to capture me in the way that it should have. I mainly attribute that due to the terrible choices the characters seem to make throughout the course of the film and how every single choice seems to blow up in the worst way. It's the equivalent of knowing the stove is hot yet placing your hand on it anyway just to see what happens. And all of these idiotic choices that just take me out of the potential realism that this film had to offer.

IDK, Maybe I am nitpicking but it just irks me, Especially when you are trying to build up a horror movie based more on suspense than blood and gore.… Expand

1 of 9 users found this helpful18

RaymondD.

May 30, 2008

Horrible movie. Laughed throughout it.

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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34	#34 Most Discussed Movie of 2008
31	#31 Most Shared Movie of 2008