May 29th, 2008
The Strangers
RATING: 
I can almost appreciate what the folks behind The Strangers were trying to do: Create a bare bones horror film using nothing more than an unhappy couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), a big house in the proverbial “middle of nowhere,” and a group of creepy people wearing masks and sacks over their heads. It’s the film equivalent of a MacGyver trick.
But in order for this premise to fly a few things need to work out.
For one, the film should not resort to the most hackneyed of horror tropes: the sudden hand on the shoulder, the heroine crouching alone in a closet, the inexplicable banging noise, the haunting, scratchy record. (Record players? Really? Had no one lived in this house since 1982?).
Also, if you’re going to go minimalist, at least give us characters we care about, not a couple of beautiful people moping around almost wordlessly. (Does the film actually think it’s an art film? If so, fail.)
Finally, and perhaps most egregiously, the film will need some internal logic. If these terrifying interlopers are supposed to be real (and they are), don’t have them appear and then disappear like spirits, and don’t have them move around with spectral silence.
Sure, The Strangers is scary in that, “I goosed ya!” kind of way, but it doesn’t have a single truly imaginative moment. I just saw a (hilarious) trailer for a film called Baghead that seems to be a parody of the isolated house/guy-with-bag-on-his-head subgenre. The problem with The Strangers is that it doesn’t realize it’s the butt of the joke.
6:06 pm
Categories: film reviews
[...] The Strangers13 minutes ago by Max I can almost appreciate what the folks behind The Strangers were trying to do: Create a bare bones horror film using nothing more than an unhappy couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), a big house in the proverbial “middle of nowhere,” …MaxSpace - http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/maxspace [...]
Right on, girl! What a mess it was. "Baghead" is wonderful. It played at the Maryland Film Festival and I gave it 3 i my blog. This is what I wrote: "The day ended taking in brothers Jay and Mark Duplass' latest, "Baghead" (***). I absolutely loved their first film "The Puffy Chair" (which I reviewed in my 2005 Sundance Diary). Although not as strong, this one was another great relationship based film which the brothers seemed to really understand. Four friends (2 male and 2 females) go off to a desolate summer retreat to try and write a screenplay, starring themselves, in order to get them started on the road to fame and fortune. What happens along the way is both funny, touching, and surprising. The hand held camera with its incessant in and out focus might drive you crazy but it actually adds to the documentary feel of the proceedings. Actress Greta Gerwig (who is in no less than 4 films at the festival!) was on hand for the Q & A and the charming actress/screenwriter/director shows why she has a long career ahead of her! Stay with this one and you will be amply rewarded as the film takes unexpected twists and turns that most will not see coming. Greta mentioned that the film was picked up and will be distributed in the summer. Great news!"
umm..you all need to shut up. this movie was really good. why must you look so deeply into why the movie isn't "imaginative" stop thinking you're some smart person that knows everything about what a good movie should be. get over yourself.
This may be bit late now, but I read your review of this movie and although I agree on most of your points I look at them in a much more different light.
I think it's almost classic horror movie film feel is what I truly enjoyed about it. Most horror films now resort to gore for it's horror element and The Strangers has very little gore and the few that is there is not made the center piece of the action. Instead it uses the classic elements that once made horror films such as The Exorcist so successful, bare bones suspense. The record player was something new in my eyes since it's soundtrack was really unconventional for a horror movie. Sure, lots of movies have tried to use a gimmicky unhorror movie soundtrack but I think the soundtrack goes with the character's moods. This leads me to another place where I disagree, which is that i actually did connect to the characters, they seemed the most real scary movie characters I've witnessed in a while and this goes for the strangers as well. There's nothing spectral about them in my opinion, the way they move around and disappear and reappear instead leaves me with another sensation, as if these guys had it all planned perfectly and reacted accordingly to mistakes the couple made, such as the key in the door at the beginning. A sorta of macabre, cunning intelligence if you will, like predators already sure of their victory and just toying with their prey.
I liked your review, you hit some sweet points with it and you put up some strong arguments. But I fail to agree with most of them.
this movie was awful, if i could return the video and claim brain damage trust and believe I would!
The part that made me jump the most was when Kristen gently opened the curtain and the person with the mask on was right ther looking at her and made her scream.