The Strangers Review

WOW!! This movie scared the pants off of me!  I love a scary movie, but find most of them are pretty predictable and aren't really scary.  Usually when a movie is supposed to be sary, it's more gory than anything and I don't enjoy it.  Rarely is a true "terror" movie made; one that has you on the edge of your seat, terrified at what you are watching.  But The Strangers is unique because it really has the viewer afraid for the characters in the movie, and it's done in a way where there's hardly any actual violence shown.

I wont give the movie away, but I'll give you the idea behind it.  A couple has taken a romantic weekend away to an isolated home.  There aren't any other homes around.  At 4:00am, a strange woman begins knocking on the door.  This alerts the couple to something "not quiet right", and the unsettling feelings begin.  The knocking becomes louder, more frequent, and all over the house which tells us that this girl is not alone.  There are more people involved. 

Eventually we are given a peek at the three people terrorizing the couple, but they are wearing really creepy masks, which just heightens your fear of them.  They pop up in places you don't expect them to, which actually caused me to scream out loud three times during the movie!  I NEVER yell out during a movie!  It was great. 

I really enjoy feeling afraid, on the edge of my seat, not knowing what's going to happen during a film.  It just usually doesn't happen for me.  This movie is truly one of a kind and is one I highly recommend to fans of horror/terror movies.  If you're looking for a fast paced, gore fest, this movie isn't for you.  The terror is more subtle.  Built up slowly through the course of the movie. 

Now, what makes this movie particularly scary is that it's "supposed" to be based on true events.  However, I have no idea how loosely it's based.  I researched the Internet, trying to find out the true story behind it, but I found conflicting stories.  But, the way the movie is made, you really get the sense that this could happen very easily in a remote area.  That makes it pretty frightening.

Once the violence happened at the end, it was a bit of a let down.  The ending was an open one, meaning there was really no explanation for what had just happened.  I would have preferred to know a little history or have something spelled out for me.  But there was nothing.  But I would still recommend it, and I will watch it again anyway.  This may be one I actually buy too.