Noted poet, author, and philosopher George Santayana once famously wrote: “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” While the bulk of Santayana’s work was published throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, his words have perhaps never rang quite as true as they do in modern-day America. From our pop-culture to our politics, our culture has become overwhelmingly oversaturated with information, rhetoric, and content. On a moment-to-moment basis, the bandwidth of one’s mind is being stretched to a breaking point, with an unending supply of new information being shoveled into it at any given moment. The result is that crucial information that must be held within our minds and pushed to the forefront of our collective consciousness slips away. While Santayana spoke of not forgetting the sins of yesteryear so as not to be condemned, we as a modern people must fight to not forget the sins of yesterday.
In a bevy of ways, “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is a ludicrous, if befitting, representation of this oversaturated, gluttonous cultural cycle we have entombed ourselves in. Those who can recall the far-flung past of 2008 may remember that writer-director Bryan Bertino’s debut film “The Strangers” was a commercial success, which garnered a cult following in the years that followed. Now, in 2024, audiences are being treated to a full-blown remake of the original film that also acts as the first installment of an already-filmed trilogy of follow-ups.
And good Lord, is it dreadful.
TOP 5 THINGS ABOUT “THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1”
5. OKAY, SO WHAT EVEN IS THIS?
Somewhat hysterically, “The Strangers: Chapter 1” has steered as far away from the word ‘remake’ in its marketing as humanly possible. While horror remakes were the bread-and-butter of the early ‘00s marketplace, the phrase has taken on a more overtly negative connotation in the past few decades. Now, if any franchise is to have new installments made, they are inevitably labeled as ‘reboots’ or ‘reimaginings’ because those keywords test a bit better with broader audiences and imply something new rather than the re-baked leftovers of something you’ve seen before. But as anyone with even a passing memory of Bertino’s original “The Strangers” could tell you from simply watching a trailer for the new film, “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is most unequivocally a full-blown remake in the dullest of ways.
The story is a beat-by-beat retread of the original film, with minimal adjustments made to modernize and serialize it. If I were to hazard a guess as to why this even exists, it would be that someone in a boardroom somewhere was looking at a spreadsheet one fine morning and realized that “The Strangers” had been fairly financially successful and decided they could do with a few more. Undoubtedly inspired by the success of projects like Leigh Janiak’s “Fear Street” trilogy on Netflix or David Gordon Green’s Halloween sequel trilogy, someone inexplicably decided that a simultaneously filmed trilogy was the way to go for “The Strangers”: a film that didn’t even have enough momentum or creative juice to fully fuel a single feature-length film, much less three back-to-back installments.
4. THE SINS OF THE PAST
Now seems like a fitting moment to delve into the specific shortcomings of Bertino’s original “The Strangers,” shedding light on how these issues carry over into the new adaptation.
“The Strangers” is a suspense-driven horror film where Bertino proudly wears his influences, such as John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper, on his sleeve, delivering a tense and atmospheric work of home-invasion horror that truly feels invasive. Liv Tyler’s lead performance is solid, and the trio of masked killers is appropriately imposing. However, it’s Bertino’s craftsmanship that shines brightest. In an era dominated by gore and shock-centric releases (with “The Strangers” sandwiched between Saw IV and Saw V), the film stands out as a refreshingly old-fashioned slice of slasher cinema.
That said, the film’s central hook loses steam around the midpoint. While the first act and a half are well-staged and developed, the latter half runs out of steam, repeating earlier beats with diminishing returns, coasting to a predetermined finish line. The climax, where the protagonist and her would-be fiancé are tied up and stabbed, feels eerily passive. By the film’s conclusion, the villainous trio appears omniscient, diminishing the stakes of any confrontation since their victory seems inevitable. Their final line, “because you were home,” while ominous, leaves the characters and the film devoid of discernible motivation, resulting in a finale that lacks thrill and catharsis.
These issues from the 2008 film are not only carried over into “The Strangers: Chapter 1” without any discernible improvement but they are often doubled down upon. Bafflingly, the new film seems to hope for an audience that has forgotten everything except the core concept of the original, aiming to dazzle with a limp retelling while also expecting appreciation for its slavish reverence to the original’s structure.
3. BUT ALSO NEW SINS AS WELL
Bertino’s 2008 film “The Strangers” could be considered a C-grade horror film at worst, but it still exhibits some genuine craftsmanship. However, the same cannot be said for “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” which not only replicates every mistake from the original film but also introduces new, ill-advised errors.
The original film’s effective setup, focusing on a couple reeling from a failed marriage proposal, is abandoned in favor of a couple on vacation at an Airbnb. This shift eliminates the visceral exploration of their relationship dynamics. Additionally, Chapter 1 invests significant time in setting up the town of Venus and its eccentric residents, only to squander this setup by simply retelling the original story without adding anything new. This lack of payoff renders the setup pointless and leaves viewers feeling unsatisfied.
Furthermore, the filmmaking quality in Chapter 1 is notably inferior to Bertino’s work in the original. Director Renny Harlin, known for his past successes, delivers a film that looks like it belongs in the VOD bargain bin. Everything from framing to sound design appears worse than its predecessor, making Chapter 1 a disappointing imitation of the original.
2. PERFORMANCE EDITING
Let’s delve into the realm of editing, often a crucial component in shaping the narrative flow and emotional impact of a film. In “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” the editing falls woefully short, failing to enhance the footage or cultivate a sense of tension, dread, or suspense. The script and dialogue already suffer from mediocrity, with sequences appearing aimless and lacking direction. Unfortunately, these shortcomings are compounded by an editing approach that does little to salvage the material.
Moreover, “Chapter 1” showcases notably poor performance editing, particularly evident in lead actress Madelaine Petsch’s portrayal. Petsch delivers a committed performance, investing herself fully in her character’s emotional journey. However, the editing fails to synergize with her efforts, resulting in tonally dissonant and incoherent moments. Whether depicting intense sequences like the nail incident, the revelation about the innocent man, or the harrowing finale, the editing undermines Petsch’s performance at every turn.
Each cut feels abrupt and disjointed, disrupting the continuity of Petsch’s performance and diluting its authenticity on-screen. It’s as if the editing team harbored some inexplicable grudge against the actress, detracting from her efforts rather than elevating them. Petsch deserves better treatment, especially considering her continued involvement in the subsequent installments of the trilogy. Here’s to hoping for improved editing in “Chapter 2” and “Chapter 3” to honor Petsch’s talent and dedication.
1. SURPRISE, SUSPENSE, AND THE DISSONANCE BETWEEN
Alfred Hitchcock’s famous mantra regarding the filmmaker’s ability to evoke shock or suspense in a scene is particularly relevant here.
“Four people are sitting around the table talking about baseball, whatever you like. Five minutes of it, very dull. Suddenly a bomb goes off. Blows the people to smithereens. What does the audience have? 10 seconds of shock.
Now, take the same scene and tell the audience that there’s a bomb under the table and that it’ll go off in 5 minutes. Now, the whole emotion of the audience is totally different because you’ve given them that information. Now, that conversation about baseball has become very vital because they’re saying to you, “Don’t be ridiculous; stop talking about baseball. There’s a bomb under there.”
You’ve got the audience working.”
Comparing Bertino’s “The Strangers” to Harlin’s “The Strangers: Chapter 1” offers a compelling study of the dynamics of shock versus suspense. Bertino’s film masterfully builds suspense, exemplified by the iconic shot where the male villain silently looms behind Liv Tyler’s character, drawing out tension with each passing moment. In contrast, Harlin’s rendition leans heavily on shock, often at the expense of suspense. Attempts at generating suspense fall flat due to inadequate setup, ironically in a film inundated with a superfluous setup that lacks payoff.
Take, for instance, a scene early in “Chapter 1” featuring Petsch’s character at the piano. While reminiscent of Bertino’s shot, it lacks the clarity and impact. The mirror’s framing obscures the reflection, delaying recognition and diminishing its effectiveness. Moreover, abrupt cuts disrupt tension, contrasting Bertino’s subtler approach of allowing the villain to exit organically.
Another glaring disparity lies in the ‘shotgun mishap’ storyline. Bertino’s film employs cross-cutting to intensify suspense as the innocent man unwittingly approaches danger. In contrast, “Chapter 1” opts for a blunt reveal, stripping away anticipation and resorting to cheap shock tactics. This approach robs the scene of its potential suspense, leaving viewers with a hollow, unsatisfying experience.
In essence, while “The Strangers” thrives on suspenseful storytelling, “Chapter 1” prioritizes fleeting shock value over sustained tension, resulting in a subpar cinematic experience.
RGM GRADE
(F)
Overall, “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is a truly terrible film. Not only is it an awful watch in its own right, but it also feels just so devastatingly indicative of the current state of not only our pop culture but our culture at large. In an era with such a gluttonous oversaturation of movies, television, news, wars, international conflicts, viruses, political conflicts, and more, it’s become nigh impossible to hold it all within one’s mind. Each of us is a cup being constantly poured into, overflowing from this endless stream at any given moment. It’s become an outright crusade just to remember the sins of last week, much less the sins of the last decade. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is symptomatic of this. It is a film that wants us to forget, wants us to settle for the barest minimum, wants us to watch an incomplete, half-baked attempt at a film that offers no satisfaction or catharsis whatsoever, and then to clap when the ‘to be continued’ title card hits.
