The Strangers is a movie by debut director Bryan Bertino, and has been released this year. Starring Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Lord of the Rings) and Scott Speedman (Underworld, XXX), the movie is a violent thriller, which is supposedly inspired by true events, and has a UK 15 certificate ... Read review
MORE PULSE POUNDING TERROR: CONTAINS UNSEEN EXTENDED AND THEATRICAL VERSIONS.Explore your ... more
worst fears at the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt's (Scott Speedman) remote getaway becomes a psychological night or terror as three masked strangers invade. Now they must go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of it they hope to survive.
MORE PULSE POUNDING TERROR: CONTAINS UNSEEN EXTENDED AND THEATRICAL VERSIONSExplore your ... more
worst fears imaginable with this shocking suspense thriller inspired by disturbing true events.After a 4 a.m. knock at the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt's (Scott Speedman) remote getaway becomes a psychological night of terror as three masked strangers invade.Now they must go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of if they hope to survive.
For his film debut, director Brian Bertino has crafted a fantastically creepy horror flick ... more
based on the very simple premise of strangers who come knocking late at night. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have arrived at a secluded vacation home in the woods after attending a friend's wedding. It's four in the morning, and they're both tearful and emotionally exhausted after a disagreement about their relationship. As they awkwardly try to navigate the long night together, they are distracted by the sound of a heavy knock at the door. They open it to find a dazed young woman hidden in the shadows. Assuming she is lost, James sends her away, but Kristen is disturbed by the late-night visit. When James leaves to go on a drive and pick up some cigarettes, Kristen is left alone, and we watch her move through the huge house in a painfully eerie silence, all the while knowing that she is being watched. By the time James returns, Kristen is in hysterics, and together they must face the terrifying fact that they are indeed in grave danger.
A suburban couple returning to their semi-secluded house afterattending a wedding finds ... more
their lives suddenly thrown into chaoswith the arrival of three malevolent, masked strangers in directorBryan Bertino's tense tale of survival. Liv Tyler and ScottSpeedman star as the couple forced to resort to violence they neverthought themselves capable of as they struggle for their lives, andmodel-turned-actress Gemma Ward continues her transition from thecatwalk to the silver screen as one of the merciless maskedinvaders.
Advantages: Scary, with suspense a plenty! Disadvantages: Somewhat disappointing ending, could have been better!
The Strangers is a movie by debut director Bryan Bertino, and has been released this year. Starring Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Lord of the Rings) and Scott Speedman (Underworld, XXX), the movie is a violent thriller, which is supposedly inspired by true events, and has a UK 15 certificate rating.
A couple, Kirsten McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman), return from a wedding reception to the secluded Hoyt's family home, ... ...night. As the couple sit down to discuss the row, they are both startled to hear a knock on the front door, in the early hours of the morning. As they open the door, a strange woman stands in the doorway, asking for a person, whom the couple have never heard of. They explain that the person doesn't live there, and the woman wanders off into the dark. Confused and a little startled, James sets off to get a pack of cigarettes for Kirsten.
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The Strangers is a movie by debut director Bryan Bertino, and has been released this year. Starring Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Lord of the Rings) and Scott Speedman (Underworld, XXX), the movie is a violent thriller, which is supposedly inspired by true events, and has a UK 15 certificate rating.
A couple, Kirsten McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman), return from a wedding reception to the secluded Hoyt's family home, both upset from an arguement that had occured earlier that night. As the couple sit down to discuss the row, they are both startled to hear a knock on the front door, in the early hours of the morning. As they open the door, a strange woman stands in the doorway, asking for a person, whom the couple have never heard of. They explain that the person doesn't live there, and the woman wanders off into the dark. Confused and a little startled, James sets off to get a pack of cigarettes for Kirsten.
Whilst James is away, the woman returns to the house, but this time she is not alone. The knocking on the door begins again, and gets louder and louder. Frightened, Kirsten tries to contact James through her mobile to no avail. As she witnesses a man standing in her window, wearing a sack for a mask, a terrified Kirsten tries again to contact James, only to find that her phone has disappeared. She soon realises that she is not alone in the house. James returns soon after, and what ensues for the couple during the remainder of the night, is a battle for survival, with no means of escape. The strangers game has begun, and the couple must find a way to survive the terrifying ordeal, until help can arrive.
I thought that this was a very good movie, however I was also left somewhat disappointed at the end. This film is packed full of suspense, and delivers a good psychologigal thriller, that is made even more terrifying by the fact that it is inspired by true events. I felt that there were some genuinely scary moments in the film, but there was definitely something missing in the film .. an explanation. I understand that the fact that there isn't an explanation, is supposed to add to the suspense of the film, but it did leave me a little disappointed. It left my girlfriend, however, shaking with fear at the end, and made me double check the locks on the windows and doors before bed.
Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as the terrified couple, struggling to survive the ordeal, and I thought that they were very good. I have not seen much of Scott Speedman before, but I was quite impressed with his ability. Liv Tyler is an actress who I am a fan of, and in this role we see a very different side to her acting ability, one that has not been seen before. Despite not seeing or hearing much from the 3 strangers, they still manage to do a great job at basically being scary. This is largely down to the freakish masks that they wear for the entirety of the film.
Despite the movie claiming to be inspired by true events, this is not exactly the case. During research into the origins of the true events that launched the film, I found that very little of the events in the movie are actually based on true events. This disappointed me a little, but not enough to ruin the film. I think that the sheer fact that the words 'What you are about to see is inspired by true events' are used at the beginning of the film sets the movie up to be even more terrifying than it already is, and in my opinion, it doesn't really matter if this is true or not.
This is a good film, which probably could have been a little better, but nonetheless I thought it was a good film. If you want to be scared, believe in the film as being inspired by true events, and you will be. I would definitely recommend this film, especially if you like a good, suspenseful, thriller / horror.
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There are apparently two events that have been combined to inspire the movie, although whether this is true or not is up for debate. The first is an event that the director Bryan Bertino experienced as a child, when a stranger came to his home asking for someone that wasn't there, and later learning that a number of empty homes in the neighbourhood had been broken into that night. The second true event that supposedly inspired the film, occured on April 11th, 1981, in a small town called Keddie, in the northern Californian hills. In a small cabin resort, 3 bodies were found bound hand and foot, and stabbed and hammered to death. The bodies were that of a mother, her son and his friend. The bodies were discovered by the mothers daughter, who had been staying in the next cabin, no more than 15 feet away. Every wall in the cabin was covered in blood, as was all the furniture, however not a sound was heard to come from the cabin throughout the night. The case remains unsolved, and a mystery to this day.
Advantages: Has the basics of a good horror Disadvantages: Not scary enough!
The Strangers was released in 2008 and was written and directed by Bryan Bertino. This film had quite a lot of hype when it was released and I enjoy a good scary horror so was really looking forward to seeing this one. I must confess that I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to masks and anything that is clown or doll related when it comes to horror films so I was expecting to be scared witless by this film! My anticipation was short lived though as ... ...follows the couple James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) and Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) starting fro when they arrive at James' fathers house where they plan to stay after attending a friends wedding reception. The scene is glum and there is definite tension between the couple as James decided to propose to Kristen at the reception but she declined. It is the middle of the night and the house is in the middle of no where when they hear a knock at the door. ...
withers1979 08.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Strangers
Advantages: Some good filming and a tense thriller. Disadvantages: Left you wondering exactly what had happened
== THE STRANGERS ==
=== FILM ONLY REVIEW ===
This review is a film only review for the 2008 film 'The Strangers' This film is another that I watched on Sky Anytime. The Strangers is a movie by debut director Bryan Bertino, it was originally going to be called 'The Faces'. The film is supposedly inspired by true events, and has a UK 15 certificate rating. It was stated in July this year that a sequel is to be made later this year. The film starts ... ...as well as text on the screen that, "What you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005, Kristen McKay and James Hoyt left a friend's wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family's summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known." === STORY ===
After the initial opening shots when ...
oldchem 15.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Strangers
Advantages: Creepy, eerie, classic horror, nail-biting stuff. Great acting + directing Disadvantages: Slightly short, and a bit weak in the plot
...by true events. According to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005, Kristen McKay and James Hoyt left a friend's wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family's summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known. _
The Strangers is the debut film from writer and director Brian Bertino, using the very simple scare of strangers who come ... ...gore to win their scares. The Strangers is a more classic horror film, using lots of tension and suspense in order to generate scares.
The story idea was based on a clever reverse of one of Brian Bertino's experiences as a child, when strangers came to his house asking if a certain person was home. Of course they were just doing this to see if anyone was home, and all the empty houses in the neighborhood had been burgled.
=== The Plot ===
Kristen ...
midpikyrozziy 01.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Strangers
Advantages: Good sequence of events, suspense horror, a worthy watch, a good ending Disadvantages: took a while to get going, the acting could have been better, not a lot of killing
Bryan Bertino's debut feature The Strangers is an effectively grim, exceedingly well-made horror thriller. Wringing atmospheric tension out of the familiar set-up of a besieged young couple, the movie mixes pulse-pounding scenes of explicit menace with stalking scenarios more rooted in sustained dread The Strangers unfolds over a period of several hours, almost exclusively at night. After leaving a friend's wedding reception, Kristen McKay (Tyler) ... ...there. After politely responding in the negative, James and Kristen are later attacked by a trio of mysterious, masked strangers - two women and one man - who take an unarticulated psychosexual delight in toying with their intended victims. In my opinion I thought this was quite a good chilling horror film and it certainly got me covering my eyes with my blanket a few times whilst watching this movie in bed. The film really does keep you in suspense ...
jmarlene 31.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Strangers
Advantages: Full of suspense Disadvantages: Extremely slow moving, takes about 45 to get going
...since it was released at the cinema but I never got round to watching it so when it came out on DVD I went out & bought it straight away. It was £12.99 at Asda, yes a little expensive but I was willing to pay that as I was expecting this to be a magnificent film, how wrong could I be! I don't know if it was just the fact that I had wanted to watch this film for so long that my expectations were too high or maybe it's just that this film was incredibly ... ...to a wedding & during the reception James had proposed to Kristen & she turned him down. The first half an hour is annoyingly filled with the 2 of them sulking around the house until there's a knock on the door in the early hours of the morning. They open it to find a girl, she asks for someone but it turns out she's at the wrong house. James then decides to go out in the car for a bit leaving Kristen on her own in the isolated house, not before ...
Great_reviewer07 13.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Strangers
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Advantages: Good performances from the children Disadvantages: A slow Story
The stranger is an average thriller with a few good scares but mainly a slow story. The story is simple but nothing really happens. A woman loses her daughter and starts to withdraw with flashbacks of her childhood and strange memories. There is no particular highlight of the film as it seems to drag on a bit and when you get to the end where it all makes sense, it's not really that spectacular. However, it does hold your attention throughout, with a good script that is well acted out. Though not a horror, there are one or two bits that build up suspense to the level of horror, but only one of these bits seems to work particularly well. When i bought it, it sounded more of a horror film so i was a bit surprised when i watched it. It has some bits that are drama mixed in with slight thriller and so it may be more enjoyable to someone ...
Advantages: Fabulous story, fabulous atmosphere and fabulous acting Disadvantages: A very few irksome things but neglible
Alfred Hitchcock?s Strangers on a Train - excellent movie! I could leave it that but of course I won?t. I?d had this 2 disk special edition in my DVD collection for a while before I got around to watching it. I really should have watched it as soon as I bought it. Not that I need an excuse to watch it all over again. There is no law that says you have to wait any given period of time before you can watch a film that you enjoyed all over again!
WHAT?S IT ALL ABOUT?
Guy Haynes is travelling on a train and get into conversation with a stranger Bruno Anthony. Guy is a semi-professional tennis player and is somewhat flattered that Bruno recognises him. During their conversation Bruno brings up Guy?s soon to be (hopefully) ex-wife Miriam and current girlfriend Ann Morton who is the daughter of senator. Guy is not very ...
young woman, looking somewhat lost, asks them if so-and-so is home (can't remember the name she asks for)... they tell her no, and she leaves.
Although thinking this strange, neither Kristen nor James give it another thought--they return to their discussion--Kristen runs out of cigarettes, and James jumps at the opportunity to get some for her (he wants to get some air).
During James' absence, Kristen is terrorised by a masked man and the girl who had previously knocked on the door... and things go from bad to worse when James returns from his errand.
Inspired by true events, 'The Strangers' is an extremely disturbing movie. We're used to excessive violence when it comes to horror movies, however, knowing that it was inspired by true events made it all the more gruesome--what has this world come to?!
Basically, this is ...
Contains strong psychological horror, violence and language
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
For his film debut, director Brian Bertino has crafted a fantastically creepy horror flick based on the very simple premise of strangers who come knocking late at night. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have arrived at a secluded vacation home in the woods after attending a friend's wedding. It's four in the morning, and they're both tearful and emotionally exhausted after a disagreement about their relationship. As they awkwardly try to navigate the long night together, they are distracted by the sound of a heavy knock at the door. They open it to find a dazed young woman hidden in the shadows. Assuming she is lost, James sends her away, but Kristen is disturbed by the late-night visit. When James leaves to go on a drive and pick up some cigarettes, Kristen is left alone, and we watch her move through the huge house in a painfully eerie silence, all the while knowing that she is being watched. By the time James returns, Kristen is in hysterics, and together they must face the terrifying fact that they are indeed in grave danger.
Release details
Studio(s)
UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Sound
Dolby Digital
Professional reviews
Review
First-time writer-director Bryan Bertino's taut, spare thriller is plenty scary....Anchored by convincing performances from Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler....This is an enormously unsettling movie (Los Angeles Times, 26/06/2008)
[S]pare, suspenseful and brilliantly invested in silence, Bryant Bertino's debut feature unfolds in a slow crescendo of intimidation... (New York Times, 26/06/2008)
DVD Description
For his film debut, director Brian Bertino has crafted a fantastically creepy horror flick based on the very simple premise of strangers who come knocking late at night. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have arrived at a secluded vacation home in the woods after attending a friend's wedding. It's four in the morning, and they're both tearful and emotionally exhausted after a disagreement about their relationship. As they awkwardly try to navigate the long night together, they are distracted by the sound of a heavy knock at the door. They open it to find a dazed young woman hidden in the shadows. Assuming she is lost, James sends her away, but Kristen is disturbed by the late-night visit. When James leaves to go on a drive and pick up some cigarettes, Kristen is left alone, and we watch her move through the huge house in a painfully eerie silence, all the while knowing that she is being watched. By the time James returns, Kristen is in hysterics, and together they must face the terrifying fact that they are indeed in grave danger.
Both Tyler and Speedman give excellent, understated performances that lend the film a truly frightening edge of realism. The story's simplicity is a refreshing change from over-the-top torture films like SAW, and the violence in the film is minimal, and much of it off camera. THE STRANGERS also lacks any big-budget special effects. You won't find any CGI creatures or armies of zombies. The only monsters depicted here are the very real human kind, which is what leaves you thoroughly spooked and shaken, and ready to push a chair against your own front door.
