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Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis ... see more see more... , Glenn Howerton , Alex Fisher , Peter Clayton-Luce

A suburban couple returning to their semi-secluded house after attending a wedding finds their lives suddenly thrown into chaos with the arrival of three malevolent, masked strangers in director Bryan... read more read more... Bertino's tense tale of survival. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as the couple forced to resort to violence they never thought themselves capable of as they struggle for their lives, and model-turned-actress Gemma Ward continues her transition from the catwalk to the silver screen as one of the merciless masked invaders. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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48% liked it

294,157 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

148 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Bryan Bertino

Release Date: May 29, 2008

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DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008

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Stats: 18,354 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (18,354)

  • jmanard52
    January 11, 2009
    jmanard52
    Pretty creepy movie but watch the movie Them (ills) for a better version. I like it but just really could have been better.
  • theoneandonlybg
    October 23, 2011
    theoneandonlybg
    To briefly sum up the film for those people with little time or short attention spans, here is a brief summary: it's an average flick with some jumpy moments and a lack of story.

    Now, for people with more time and are happy to read that little bit more, here is the usual more ... read moredetailed review! The Strangers is just one of those films you wonder what was going through the director's head when they made this!

    The Strangers is a sort of Slasher film about a night where a guy proposes to his girlfriend, is rejected, and then they all start getting attacked by people with masks on their faces, as you do!

    Really, it's not that great a film; it provides few scares, little point and a lack of violence as well! It would probably have been acceptable had it actually had more of a story to it, other than the random terrorisation. The story is sort of believable, but leaves you thinking of a few questions you would want to ask the main characters: "If you could run out of the house, why didn't you run away from the attackers?", "Why didn't you leave earlier when things began to get weird?" and "Is there a possibility that the events would have been different had she said yes to the proposal?"

    But we can only wonder, and what I would like to leave you with is this: don't watch it, unless you need a little bit of light entertainment to pass 1 hour and a bit!
  • blkbomb
    October 12, 2011
    blkbomb
    Kristen: Why are you doing this to us? 
    Dollface: Because you were home. 

    "Lock the door. Pretend your safe."

    When I originally watched this in theaters a few years back, I remember really liking it. Watching again, I don't really see why I liked it so much. It isn't nearly as ... read moregood as I had it built up to be. Still, it is a fairly decent horror film. The villains are well done; but the story really isn't. There are some good individual scenes that have a few scares, but for the most part it is just a more violent episode of Tom and Jerry.

    The biggest problem I have with this is the fact that the director didn't believe he could scare us without constant jump scares. One or two, okay; nine or ten, it is just getting obsessive. 

    The story takes place in a country home. Soon after returning home from a wedding, James and Kristen begin to hear knocks on their door. Then they start seeing people in masks, "I don't know, fucking masks!" Then the events start to escalate. It's pretty similar to Funny Games, but way better because it knows what it is and isn't a pretentious piece of shit. 

    I would have liked the movie more had the writing been slightly better. The characters are written like they are a couple of twelve year olds and not fully grown adults. For the most part this is an average home invasion horror film. There's been better, there's been worse. It's not a movie that needs to be watched, unless you're a fan of horror films and you want to see it just so you've seen it.
  • helpahorse
    October 7, 2011
    helpahorse
    I didn't really like it. It was kind of boring and the storyline was really pointless. A group of random people torture a couple without a legitimate reason, then some religious boys give them a brochure? Whaaaat theeee fuckkkkk? I guess the movie was purposely trying to not make... read more sense. It was a dull movie and really cliche.
  • fb573414556
    August 13, 2011
    fb573414556
    The Strangers is a house invasion film about a couple who return home after a wedding to find three masked strangers ready to torment them. If the cover was anything to go by 'The Strangers' had promise, not only because of the mysterious title but because of the cool masked man ... read moresandwiched between two masked females also wearing pretty cool masks. On closer inspection I noticed the font being used is the same as the font used in the 'Twilight' series, I should of taken this as some kind of warning about the film but I chose to disregard it as an insignifigant detail.

    The two main characters in the film are a couple going throught some rough times, it's not really a spoiler to say the man of the relationship proposed and was declined by his 'loving' girlfriend. I'm guessing the reason for this development is for the viewer to feel some sympathy or connection to the characters, I think however it takes away from the film, I mean, what would you care about more: Some sad ass bitches who you don't even like being tormented or a happily engaged couple getting their precious lives destroyed? Personally I'd choose to torture the happy fools as they have more too lose, but maybe that's just me.

    The unlikable characters is just one of the many probems I can think of within 'The Strangers', the second is how un-scary it is, you can see most of the scares coming and even if you can't they don't work (although Harry Ward did jump at one).

    Another problem with the film is the running length, although it's only 90 minutes or so it's feels far to long and has many un-needed scenes that could of easily been removed.

    For all it's faults though 'The Strangers' isn't a horrible movie, it was a fairly enjoyable 90 minutes although it would of been a much more enjoyable 70 minutes, the final scene featuring the couple and the strangers is the best in the film as it gives you a little insight into the strangers mentatility, even if it does try a bit to hard to get you thinking.
  • fb729949618
    August 9, 2011
    fb729949618
    The Strangers, oh The Strangers......I had so much hope in you! This movie started out very well and even proceeded to be okay until the sudden ending. I was really surprised at how short the movie was, and because of it's short length it makes everything seem rushed; furthermore... read more, with that comes few scares.
  • 76Majikat
    July 29, 2011
    76Majikat
    So bad, I couldn't last any longer than 50 minutes with this. It's slow, too dark and lacking in suspense and thrill.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Horrifyingly jumpy and extremely scary!
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    February 24, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Strangers is a terrific piece of Horror Cinema. The film has gotten unfair reviews by mainstream critics. The Strangers is a film that relies on suspense and tension to steadily build it's horror. The Strangers doesn't have any cheap scares, only old school style suspense. Su... read morere the film is flawed, but the filmmakers manage to craft a film that has more high than lows. The acting by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman is terrific, and you really feel that they're in a dangerous, creepy situation. Their performance make you believe than you're in there with them, and that theres is no way out. I view The Strangers as a better film than most recent horror offerings as the story is quite interesting. The way that director Bryan Bertino builds the tension is truly something that hasn't been seen in a horror for a very long time. Sure we have terrific horror films, but most of them are from the U.K and France. This is one of the first films that doesn't try to fool the viewer by cheapening their viewing experience by having a jump scare. They're might be one or two in the film, but like I've said before, this film relies heavily on building the suspense. Take it anyway you want, in the end, this is a film that you either love or hate. I loved it because elements of old horror and tries successfully at being a different horror film. Considering the remake factor of recent times, The Strangers is fairly good viewing. Speaking of which, they're are similar films to The Strangers, such as Them and Funny Games, but this is an entirely original film, The Strangers is not a remake. With that in mind, you should give this film a shot, The Strangers does have plenty of horrifying scares and good old suspense to satisfy the hardened horror fan. My Favorite Horror film since 28 Days Later and The Devil's Rejects.
  • bbcfloridabound
    January 28, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    I rented the unrated version of this film so I am sure it showed more the version that was at your local theater. It was somewhat suspenseful, but at times pretty gruesome. About a couple who after a friends wedding they go to house for the weekend, while there a strange girl sh... read moreows up at the door and that's where trouble begins. 3 strangers torture the couple throughout the night until there left for dead. This is right up there with Saw. 3 1/2 stars.

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Critic Reviews

Claudia Puig
October 18, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

The Strangers has a couple of scares, but it's not anywhere near as frightening as advertised. The creepy folks of the title are more fumbling than fiendish. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
July 18, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

At least it's short. Full Review

Bob Mondello
June 2, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

A sadistic, unmotivated home-invasion flick. Full Review

June 2, 2008
Ebert & Roeper

Don't let the attractive cast, the slick look or the 'inspired by true events' nonsense mislead you. The Strangers is a despicable and mean-spirited practical joke.

Kyle Smith
May 31, 2008
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Kind of like what The Shining might be if you took out the ESP. And the ghosts. And the chilling atmosphere. So call it The Sucking. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
May 30, 2008
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

I like watching snakes eat mice just as much as the next fella, maybe even more, but The Strangers turns the gobble-'em-up into an ordeal. It's a fraud from start to finish. Full Review

Susan Walker
May 30, 2008
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

With no plot to speak of, no character development whatsoever, no theme and precious little intrigue, what we have here is simply a pileup of effects. And not especially special effects. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
May 30, 2008
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Let's give writer-director Bryan Bertino credit. He knows how to frame a shot to make characters seem vulnerable. Now for his next trick, he just needs to turn his talents toward something that isn't ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
May 30, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

It's intense but not necessarily fun and may disappoint less sophisticated horror fans. However, for die-hard supporters of unsettling peeks into the dark side of human nature, this is a welcome excur... Full Review

Roger Moore
May 30, 2008
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Fans of the 'pitiless/merciless killers' school of horror should get a jolt out of The Strangers, a harrowing real-time tale of an assault on a remote country home. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Kristen McKay: Why are you doing this to us?
    • Dollface: Because you were home.
    • Kristen McKay: He was wearing a mask...
    • James Hoyt: What like a ski mask?
    • Kristen McKay: I don't know? A fucking mask!
    • Pin-Up Girl: [to Dollface] It'll be easier next time.
    • Kristen McKay: Help me!
    • Dollface: Because you were home.
    • Pin-Up Girl: Is Tamera home?
Submit a Fact | View All

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The Strangers Trivia

  • In what movie did Rufus Sewell star alongside Jennifer Connelly and Kiefer Sutherland, that saw him pursued by police and beings called The Strangers?  Answer »
  • In the film "Strangers with Candy" what is the name of the science fair team Jerri joins?  Answer »
  • In what movie did two strangers pass letters back in forth, but they were living two years apart?  Answer »
  • Name the movie in which Antonio Banderas and Rebecca De Mornay starred in?  Answer »
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