‘The Strangers’ Movie Review – Worst Horror Film Ever?
Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh. It’s not the worst horror film ever made but it’s certainly one of the worst commercial big budget horror films ever made. I’d put it on a par with The Blair Witch Project, except it’s an even more ill-conceived plot for a film and even more boring.
The Strangers has been out for a few months in the States but has only just reached us over here in the UK. And to be honest, I wish it hadn’t – I want those 85 minutes of my life back. The film is torturous from beginning to end, but not because it’s a thrill-a-minute, edge of the seat spectacle. It’s torturous because it’s so poorly executed.
The film is said to be “inspired by true events”, and that is probably the scariest part of the film: the realisation that this sort of stuff could happen to you. But assuming that something like this did happen to a real couple, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good plot for a film.
I feel sorry for the people who actually experienced the events like those seen in the film but it makes for a truly boring and unspectacular movie. It’s on the short side at 85 minutes long but even that feels like the plot is being dragged out.
Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler, who play the couple chosen at random by The Strangers, do a fairly good job with the storyline they’re given, but with so little to play with, their performances are hardly spectacular. As for the three masked intruders, I could have played any of those roles and I’m the worst actor you have ever met.
Every effort to incite fright in the film is overplayed and predictable and I personally was left wondering how this film ever got made. The Strangers is shallow, uninspiring and not worth seeing even if you’re paid to watch it.
Watch the trailer and leave it at that – it has all the best bits in it anyway.
9 Comments
September 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
You must not watch a lot of horror.
December 18th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Its not that it was a bad idea for a horror movie. It was a good idea, in theory. Very poorly executed and when it finally built up to the end. The ending lasted about 2 seconds and I was pissed i paid the 3.99 to rent this movie. Who knows what the “based on true events” means. It could have meant somebody broke into someones house once, so they based it on that. Quoting the comic book guy from the simpsons ,”Worst movie ever!”
August 21st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
the strangers, how do 3 people in masked show uop in the middele of know where, and least it is a haunted house, want 3 two peopl;e dead for know reason where are the neighbores, the hoouse must have security for calling for help, aand the guy and gilr scott spelman and luz tyloer have shot gungs, i t lookes like he dies and she surivied but baldy injured,when the boy arrives at the house and the three maksed people get away, threse 3 people should of died in the movie not so great horrow movie, not terrible but not that good, not for movie sale but to watch on dvd, most people seeing this movei at the theather last may 2008 shoudl get refunds, this was not a great movie dont bother watching it.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Yay, this one is my favorite!!! I love it!
April 14th, 2010 at 1:37 am
You’re a faggot.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I don’t see how you can call it that, you make little to no argument here, it is flimsy at best.
Why don’t you go and watch something like The Wicker Man remake, Blair Witch 2, Halloween: Resurrection or House of the Dead (or any Boll movie for that matter).?
Those are the worst films of all time not The Strangers or Blair Witch, which by the way was supposed to be your own imagination scaring you, so I see you missed to point there too.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
One last thing.
Blair Witch isn’t a commercial big budget movie, idiot. It was made with little money.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I don’t begin to share your negative views. It was a tensely disturbing film I found. It had an air of menace and horror too which was ably sustained throughout.
There are far worse films really and also Phantom is right, you don’t really articulate in great detail just what you find so awful about this film which kind of makes people wonder why the harsh review.
October 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 am
I just watched this movie for the first time. It was so disappointing that I have to make a movie review for the first time in my whole life!!! How on earth did Liv decide to play this role is beyond me. What a waste hoping for a witty ending that reveal all the secrets that can justify the lousy 2 hours of plotless crap.
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