The Strangers
Directed by Bryan Bertino
Reviewed by Tim Letteney
Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers is a solid exercise in home invasion horror. While remarkably similar to David Moreau’s THEM (the German film, not the one about giant ants) and Michael Haneke’s Funny Games (sans the self-referential narrative) it still has a few beats of originality to it. The reason I have to compare this film to foreign horror is because this type of horror film hasn’t been made in the states by an American director since the horror boom of the mid to late 1970’s. While Bertino traverses a very similar path to some popular foreign horror, the films he truly owes the most to are Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974) and John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). As far as films to cop from are concerned, he has chosen some of the very best the genre has to offer.
The Strangers sets out to do one thing and one thing alone: scare you. Suspense is the only visceral feeling the audience will walk away with. There is no break in the tension, no comic relief, no character development, and come to think of it…barely any dialogue. It is a two dimensional film lacking any dynamic to make it resonate emotionally. This of course is a gigantic detraction in almost any genre, but horror films are a different breed. The only emotion that Bertino strives for is fear and he delivers it in spades and, for better or worse, that’s more than enough to please any fan of horror.
The plot of the film is incredibly thin; if you have seen any of the trailers you know exactly what to expect. The movie takes place in a summer home off season. It’s a very clever setting for a horror film that adds to the feeling of isolation by presenting the viewer with multiple signifiers of community and relief that are all vacant, all hollow. If anyone reading this has been to Cape Cod in November you know that creepy desolate feeling that the summer communities emanate during that time of year.
Our main characters, James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen (Liv Tyler), head to this aforementioned summer home after a wedding reception. I feel inclined to tell you what happens at the reception but it’s literally the only plot point that adds character dynamic in the entire film, so I’ll hold back. The two leads mill about the house, decompressing after an eventful night. During an intimate moment of embrace they hear a crushingly loud knock at the front door and. It’s all downhill from there. Three characters wearing masks that hearken back to 1970’s horror films ruthlessly haunt the area while mentally and physically torturing the two leads.
This is where the film walks a line between Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon and The Devil’s Rejects. The tormentors are in this for the sport more than the murder. They sadistically taunt and tease their subjects, chasing them only to vanish at the last moment and spare their lives time and time again. It adds a nice psychology to the aggressors; it would be nice if it gets explored a little bit in the inevitable sequel.
Technically the film is solid. This is Bertino’s first feature film and it’s obvious that he is going to have an interesting career ahead of him. The direction feels confident, the cinematography is smooth, and the sound design is perfect. The only negative technical aspects that stick out in my mind are the continuity errors. They are abundant, distracting, and could have been easily remedied in post production. I’m not going to point them out here because it ruins suspension of disbelief. For a film they are trying to sell as being “based on true story” (it’s not), suspension of disbelief is a big deal.
Technical gripes aside The Strangers remains an effective horror film that will be scaring viewers for years to come. It may not be a big enough success to alter the landscape of contemporary American horror away from Japanese remakes and Saw sequels but hopefully it represents the first stroke in a smart independent thriller resurgence just like Black Christmas and Halloween did all those years ago.
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