highlights
- The production budget of the 2024 horror movie was $8.5 million.
- The Chapter 2 of “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is expected to be out later in 2024.
- Whereas, the release date of the Chapter 3 is yet to be known.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a horror film based on the original 2008 film of the same name. The movie features Froy Gutierrez, Riverdale alum Madelaine Petsch, and more.
Froy and Madelaine star as a couple who cross paths with the three psychopathic masked strangers when after their car breaks down in an eerie town.
This 2024 American horror movie premiered on May 8, 2024, at the Regal L.A. Live.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 Offers Familiarity Amidst Mixed Reviews
The Strangers: Chapter 1
A mix of cliches and faint originality.
Genres
HorrorSlasherSuspenseThriller| Release Date | May 17, 2024 |
| Director | Renny Harlin |
| Writer | Bryan Bertino, Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland |
| Casts | Ryan Bown, Matus Lajcak |
The 2024 American horror movie records a Tomatometer score of 14% green splat, with many disappointed with the storyline and presentation.
Likewise, it earned 41% of the tipped-over popcorn bucket audience score, which indicates that less than 60% of users give a movie or TV show a star rating of 3.5 or higher.
Adam Graham, a top critic from Detroit News, expressed his negative opinion about the movie compared to the original work. He wrote;
The original was a tightly wound nail biter, full of looming dread, but this one runs on fumes: there’s no tension or atmosphere, just recycled beats from the original, played like a cheap cover song.
Valerie Complex, a top critic from Deadline Hollywood Daily, gave a harsh critique, stating that the movie displays everything flawed within the horror genre.
Speaking of audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, a user named Lucas wrote that the movie failed to be scary. The audience laughed rather than was frightened.
An IMDb user offered a harsh critique, giving the movie a 1 out of 10 and criticizing almost every aspect, including the dialogue, clichés, plot, and cinematography.
Get a snippet of the movie,
Contradicting the negative reviews above, some voiced their contentment with the horror movie, giving it a 9 out of 10 rating.
The IMDb user detailed his excitement about the trilogy and praised the film for its likable characters and ability to maintain suspense.
Although the movie has similarities to the original 2008 film, the user appreciates the fresh elements introduced into this 2024 horror movie.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 Is Full of Cliches, Yet Harlin Brings Some Craftsmanship
As a reviewer from The Belmont Film House, I found the movie full of clichés and lacking in character development.
Similarly, the movie included some unnecessary elements, like the inclusion of the locals diluted the mystery of the masked killers.
The movie surely feels like a faded copy of the original, lacking originality and atmospheric dread.
Starring Madelaine Petsch and Froy Guiterrez, the movie starts off featuring every single movie cliche in the horror space one can think of.
‘THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1’ debuts with $12M in its opening weekend.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 19, 2024
It cost $8.5M to produce. pic.twitter.com/4CseEMjNUP
For instance, there are kids carrying Bibles that look pale-faced and creepy, a diner chock-full of sketchy individualists, and more.
Having said that, thanks to Renny Harlin for bringing some craftsmanship to the movie.
Likewise, there are also some effective scenes, especially inside the house, but the movie struggles to give something fresh once the action moves outside.
In summary, I believe the subsequent chapters will offer more and make Chapter 1 feel more essential within the trilogy.
