FINALLY, MY REVIEW OF "THE STRANGERS"

So,The Strangers opened, what, like a month ago? And I am just now writing a review of it? Well, I dropped the ball on this one, I admit, even though I saw it on opening night. I figured I’d weigh in when they really needed my help after competing for several weeks against the other summer blockbusters. After their opening weekend loss to Indiana Jones, It has slunk downward to now pretty much not even being in the movie theaters anymore. So my very positive review was designed to be a life preserver when all else was lost. just when Rogue Pictures thought there was nothing they could do to help keep their sinking ship afloat, along comes Haunternet to save the day! Be ready to skyrocket to number one after this weekend! How exciting!

Anylie, The Strangers is one of those horror movies that comes along every 5 years or so. A movie that depends more on suggestion, ambiance, mood, suspense and, gasp, reality then plot twists, indestructible villains, ludicrous story lines, paper thin characters and people popping out of nowhere accompanied by loud music. In other words, it doesn’t treat its audience like a band of idiots and just tells a scary story. No frills, just what happened with good acting, spot-on art direction, a solid premise and patient direction. That last bit is the most impressive part. Bryan Bertino both directed and wrote this beauty and he is one of those newcomers that usually directs that original horror film that everyone thinks is brilliant, but then in 5 years directs like The Fantastic Four: 4 or some shit. For now, before he let’s Hollywood make him brain-dead, I am singing his praises. This guy doesn’t need gimmicks to make your skin crawl. He trusts that scary situations are just that, scary. So put a camera up and make it happen.

Do I need to tell you the storyline? A woman and a man get back late to their remote hideaway and a gang of masked intruders play a tormenting cat and mouse game the rest of the movie the end. Nothing more and nothing less. There are some very minor plot points that give you minute background on the characters so you care about them a little bit, but then that’s all. Bertino is smart enough to know that if someone knocks on the door at 4 am and it is some strange girl asking for someone who doesn’t live there, that is creepy. You know what is creepier then that? When someone else knocks on the door 30 minutes later and asks for the same person. Hey, is that a cat that just jumped out of the closet? Does that person have dark rings around their eyes and is a Japanese child? Certainly it is some girl that the protagonist screwed over in high school or something and she has come back for revenge, no? None of that? it is just some random girl with no motivation other then to ef with you? Now that’s scary. The whole movie is like that. it is scary as hell. I loved it, I jumped, I bought the story, I bought into the characters, i bought into what happened. Bravo Bryan Bertino! Now go and direct the live action Heathcliff feature.