The Strangers: prey at night
REVIEW
It has been 10 years since the original “The Strangers” was released and in that time it has gained a cult following. I remember watching the original late at night in my apartment and it got under my skin. It was much better than the typical home invasion thriller I am used to seeing and I watch a lot of horror films and most of them are completely forgettable. This film was different and had an element that was more disturbing which had me stirring in my chair. I was alone in my apartment and I felt unsafe and I knew this movie was doing something right. I was a fan. I get the cult following this film has gained over the years. Now 10 years later we are getting a sequel. The big question is did we need one?
I went into “The Stranger: Prey at Night” with little expectation but I was curious about the 10 year gap. For most horror films that are received well by an audience we are then buried in sequels and prequels until the franchise has been drug through the mud for so long the films have lost any sense of originality or redeeming quality. Such franchises include Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play, Saw, Paranormal Activity and The Purge. These films were once an original idea that have been abused by the sequels, prequels and now the even more shameful reboots but “The Strangers” took 10 years to get a sequel so I was curious at the idea that could be strong enough to follow up an above average horror film. What we are given is a film that doesn’t trample on its predecessor but is more self aware and gives the audience what it showed up for.
This sequel doesn’t break any new ground or expand on the universe of the original film but is a solid stand alone follow up. This time instead of a home invasion out in the middle of nowhere where a couple is tormented throughout the night we follow a family of four in an abandoned trailer park who are tormented throughout the night. Like the original film there is some drama between the main characters and this does help give the audience some connection. We want the family to make it through the night safe so that way they can reconnect and realize their problems are nothing compared to the trauma they just endured. That element did work. I didn’t have a strong bond to the family I was watching but enough to care when one of them was lost and got a sense of sorrow along with the dread. The killings are senseless and that makes it all the more disturbing.
When I said this film is more self aware, director Johannes Roberts had clearly done his homework on John Carpenter films and the slasher films from the 80’s. Films where the killer seems to be all-knowing, ever present and has super human qualities. The killers in this film always seem to be in the right spot at the right time and just casually stroll along with out a care in the world even as our main characters get a hold of a gun, a phone and a car. Those three elements are horror movie enders. In the classic horror films from the 80’s the main character is always trying to get a hold of gun to defend themselves, a car to drive away or a phone to call for help. Typically they would find one of these three items and either the gun would have no bullets, the car wouldn’t start or the phone line would be cut. In this film our characters get a hold of all three of the elements and all of them work. Right there the movie should wrap up nicely with our main characters coming out victorious but these killers have a way to shut down each element in a somewhat unique way. This actually worked for me. People in the audience were so frustrated with the main characters lack of being able to use the tools properly to escape they were actually yelling at the screen. I loved that they even had the opportunity. It was a risk to even make those elements an option and it worked in a very frustrating way. The killers were able to destroy any sense of hope even when the main characters had it right in the finger tips. Of course you do have to realize this is a movie and that these killers are given omniscient powers. That is where this movie is self aware. The director knows he has given the killers this quality that was prevalent in 80’s films. Through out this entire movie there are plenty of 80’s songs to give it that sense of nostalgia. In order to enjoy this film you have to suspend your belief in reality and logic and just embrace the fact that these killers will always be a step ahead.
This film had some great moments in it. The strongest scene in the film finds a boy stuck in a pool area that looks like something straight out of an 80’s party. He is then stalked by one of the masked killers with an axe. This scene is the most stylized and had me on the edge of my seat. The scene looked awesome and made it the most memorable in the film. This is by no means a perfect movie but it is a horror movie and it is a sequel to a horror movie so I am cutting it a lot of slack but that is ok. I had a lot of fun watching this film. It made me uncomfortable. I wanted to yell at the screen. I was engaged with this film and sometimes that is all you need. If you are a fan of horror and were a fan of the first film then there is no reason you should not enjoy this film. It is a throw back to the 80’s slasher film and it does that well enough to enjoy your night out at the movies.
