The Strangers: Chapter 1

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The Strangers: Chapter 1
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRenny Harlin
Screenplay by
  • Alan R. Cohen
  • Alan Freedland
Based onThe Strangers
by Bryan Bertino
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJosé David Montero
Edited byMichelle Harrison
Music by
Production
companies
  • Lionsgate
  • Fifth Element Productions
  • Stream Media
  • Sherborne Media
  • LipSync
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • May 8, 2024 (2024-05-08) (L.A. Live)
  • May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17) (United States)
Running time
91 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.5 million[2]
Box office$15.1 million[3]

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a 2024 American horror film that is the third film in The Strangers film series and the first installment of an intended relaunch in the form of a standalone trilogy;[a] all based on the original 2008 film.[8] It is directed by Renny Harlin, with a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, from a story by Bryan Bertino. Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez star as a couple who come into contact with the three psychopathic masked strangers while on a road trip. Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath also star.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 had its world premiere at Regal L.A. Live on May 8, 2024, and was theatrically released by Lionsgate on May 17, 2024. The film has grossed $15 million at the box office and received negative reviews from critics. Chapter 2 is expected to be released later in 2024, and Chapter 3 on an unspecified date.

Plot[edit]

A male rushes through the woods but trips and is cornered by three murderers: Dollface, Pin-up Girl, and Scarecrow. The latter slaughters him with an axe.

Maya and her boyfriend Ryan drive across the country, celebrating their fifth year anniversary while Maya is looking to get a job in Portland, Oregon. Lost, they stop in a small town called Venus and eat at a local diner. The locals disturb them, which escalates further when their car breaks down. The town’s mechanic, Rudy, agrees to fix their car the next morning and they are forced to stay the night in an Airbnb.

A girl appears asking if Tamara is here, to which the couple responds no. Ryan goes back into town with a motorcycle to retrieve his inhaler which he left behind in the car and to grab food. Alone, Maya plays the piano and takes a shower afterwards, but is unaware of Scarecrow silently stalking her. The power shuts off and Dollface's sudden appearance horrifies her, leading her to hide. Ryan returns, comforting her and deeming it a ruse. Both eat, pausing when they notice blood dripping above from a dead chicken. Both are attacked by Scarecrow who breaks down the front door.

Both flee outside to escape with the motorcycle but it is blown up by Scarecrow. Horrified, both rush back inside, grabbing weapons for defense. Using the home’s crawl space, both narrowly avoid being found as Maya accidentally strikes her hand on a nail. Once they make it to the shed, Ryan finds a shotgun and uses it to rescue Maya from another attack.

Circling around to the porch, Ryan mistakenly shoots the Airbnb's owner, believing it to be one of the strangers. They pocket his car keys and attempt to drive away with his vehicle but are rammed into by Scarecrow driving a truck. Maya runs away into the woods but Ryan is unable to move as his leg is stuck. After narrowly avoiding discovery from Dollface, Maya calls 911. The call fails due to a lack of service and, during the call, Maya comes across a corpse. Horrified, she goes deeper into the woods but is discovered by Dollface and is knocked out. Ryan searches for Maya and holds Pin-Up Girl at gunpoint, demanding information about Maya's location. During the altercation, Scarecrow knocks him out.

Both wake up tied to chairs in the home. In their last moments, Ryan offers to marry Maya, which she accepts. Ryan is fatally stabbed and his chair is knocked over, causing him to choke on his own blood. Maya asks for the motive to which Pin-Up Girl replies, “because you’re here”. Maya is then stabbed and knocked over, too. Police sirens are faintly heard and the strangers drive away. Maya awakes in a hospital bed, barely surviving the night.

Maya slowly rises from the bed and doesn’t notice Scarecrow lying next to her.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In August 2022, producer Roy Lee announced plans for three films to consecutively enter production beginning in September of the same year.[10] Renny Harlin was revealed as director for at least one of the films, though he was in negotiations to direct each of the films.[11] The trilogy was produced by Lionsgate Films, Fifth Element Productions, and Frame Film, and will be distributed by Lionsgate.[12][13]

Later in 2022, Harlin was announced as director on the three upcoming films. The first of the new trilogy was from a script written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland and story by Bryan Bertino.[12][14] Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Charlie Dombeck, and Alastair Birlingham were confirmed as producers on the three films.[12] The new trilogy is a relaunch of the series with producer Canton stating that the trilogy is intended to introduce new audiences to "world of The Strangers". Solomon stated that when they began the project the intent was to tell a bigger story than before, but also to "expand that world".[12] The producer describes the three films as a "character study", compared to the previous two films. It was later clarified by the filmmaker and the actors, that the new trilogy of films takes place in the same universe as the original two films.[15][16]

Casting[edit]

In September 2022, Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez and Gabriel Basso were cast.[17] In October 2022, Ema Horvath was announced to be a part of the cast.[18] The following month, Rachel Shenton joined the cast.[19]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography on all three films took place in Bratislava, Slovakia over 52 days from September 2022 to November 2022.[17][20][21] Harlin told Entertainment Weekly that it was "the challenge of a lifetime, but I also really embraced it. On a Monday morning, I could be shooting the second chapter, and Monday afternoon I could be shooting the first chapter, and Tuesday morning I could be shooting the third chapter. it was incredibly demanding for the actors, for the continuity in terms of the make-up and wardrobe, and for my director of photography, because we wanted to create a visual language that develops so that the movies get bigger, more epic, as we go [on]. It just kept all of our juices pumping all the time".[22]

Release[edit]

Lionsgate hosted the world premiere at Regal L.A. Live on May 8, 2024.[23] It was released in theaters on May 17, 2024.[16]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

In the United States and Canada, The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released alongside IF and Back to Black, and was projected to gross $7–9 million from 2,856 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] After making $5 million on its first day (including $1.2 million from Thursday night previews), the film went on to debut to $12 million, slightly over-performing and finishing in third behind IF and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.[24]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 16% of 73 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Lacking the chilling suspense of the original The Strangers and proving to be just unpleasant, Chapter 1 closes the book on itself."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 43 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale, the same as Prey at Night, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 50% overall positive score.[24]

Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times said "The first Strangers movie had an air of creepy suspense, as the besieged couple often looked off into blank space, bringing an unnerving tension to what was often nothing. The new film never conjures the same feelings of rustic menace".[27] Michael Nordine of Variety wrote "It's also off to a promising enough start, especially as the end of Chapter 1 makes it clear that the next two entries will be continuations of the story introduced here rather than standalone narratives" and that "Time will tell, but for now there's enough reason for devotees of the series to be cautiously optimistic — and even a little curious — about the next two chapters".[28]

Sequels[edit]

Main articles: The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Chapter 3

Two sequels were filmed concurrently with Chapter 1, with Chapter 2 expected to be released in late 2024.[29] Harlin stated they were intended to be neither a remake nor reboot, and that the tone was going to be close to the first film.[30] Harlin said in an interview: "We, of course, shot them on top of each other and mixed up, like movies are always made. But we had to keep in mind that this is one story arc. It is one 4.5 hour movie, and the first movie is a first act. It sets up the characters and the terror and the Killers and our main character, who will survive the first movie, but then go on a journey for the next two".[29]

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Harlin stated Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 will go in different directions. The sequels will cover Petsch's character over a span of four days after her encounter.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Strangers: Chapter 1 (15)". BBFC. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 14, 2024). "John Krasinski & Ryan Reynolds' 'IF' To Give More Lift To Summer Box Office With $40M Opening – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Strangers: Chapter 1 – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (March 1, 2024). "'The Strangers: Chapter 1' Trailer: Madelaine Petsch Hides from Masked Intruders in Franchise Prequel". IndieWire. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  5. ^ Scafidi, Joshua (May 15, 2024). "Courtney Solomon on Producing 'The Strangers: Chapter 1' [Interview]". iHorror. Retrieved May 18, 2024. The one thing that seems to register confusion amongst the OG The Strangers fans is that we remade the movie, or that it's a prequel. Not really.
  6. ^ Perry, Spencer (October 13, 2023). "New The Strangers Trilogy Will Reference Original Films". ComicBook.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024. When asked if the new movie, which he describes as not really a reboot nor a remake, would reference the other two The Strangers movies, Harlin replied: 'Definitely.' ... He adds: 'I have to say that the original Strangers is one of my favorite horror films ever. ...For me, it was very important to give the fans of the original film, give them the same experience. Obviously, the movie is not a carbon copy in any way, but it definitely has a similar story...I, as a fan of the original film, I wanted something that feels familiar, feels, truthful to the original. And then we obviously, we made a second movie and a third movie at the same time because we wanted to explore uh the reasons behind this. I feel like myself, and I'm sure a lot of the people who love the love, the original film were asking the question, like, why did this happen? And who were these people? And where did they come from and where are they going next? And that's the kind of answers that I wanted to explore in the second and the third movie'...
  7. ^ Hamman, Cody (August 15, 2023). "Renny Harlin's The Strangers trilogy set in the same universe as the previous films?". JoBlo. Retrieved May 18, 2024. Is Renny Harlin's The Strangers remake trilogy actually a sequel trilogy? Cast member Ema Horvath implies it might be ... Well, the official announcement referred to this as a remake project, anyway. But that might not actually be the case. During a recent interview with CinemaChords' Howard Gorman, cast member Ema Horvath said the trilogy is set "in the same universe" as The Strangers and its follow-up The Strangers: Prey at Night.
  8. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (March 1, 2024). "'The Strangers: Chapter 1' Trailer: Madelaine Petsch Hides from Masked Intruders in Franchise Prequel". IndieWire. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Thompson, Jaden (March 1, 2024). "The Strangers: Chapter 1 Trailer: Horror Franchise Reboots With a New Trilogy and Terrifying AirBnB Invaders". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Miska, Brad (August 8, 2022). "Exclusives 'Strangers' – Three New Sequels in Production Next Month?! [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Miska, Brad (August 9, 2022). "'The Strangers' – Renny Harlin Directing At Least One of the Upcoming Sequels! [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Welk, Brian (September 13, 2022). "Renny Harlin to Remake Horror Film 'The Strangers' as Trilogy With Star Madelaine Petsch at Lionsgate". The Wrap. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  13. ^ Collis, Clark (September 13, 2022). "Madelaine Petsch to star in remake of horror film The Strangers, first movie in planned trilogy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  14. ^ "The Strangers: Chapter 1 - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  15. ^ Perry, Spencer (October 13, 2023). "New The Strangers Trilogy Will Reference Original Films". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Cody Hamman (August 15, 2023). "Renny Harlin's The Strangers trilogy set in the same universe as the previous films?". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (September 13, 2022). "'The Strangers' Remake In Works At Lionsgate From Director Renny Harlin; Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez & Gabriel Basso Set For First Title In New Trilogy". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Grobar, Matt (October 10, 2022). "'The Strangers': 'LOTR: The Rings Of Power' Actor Ema Horvath Joins Lionsgate Remake". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (November 1, 2022). "Rachel Shenton Joins Renny Harlin's 'The Strangers' Remake for Lionsgate (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Davids, Brian (May 16, 2024). "The Strangers: Chapter 1 Director Renny Harlin on Shooting a Trilogy in 52 Days: "Nothing Is Too Ambitious for Me"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Grobar, Matt (November 1, 2022). "The Strangers: Rachel Shenton Boards Lionsgate's Horror Remake". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Collis, Clark (October 4, 2023). "The home-invading killers are back in The Strangers Trilogy first look". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  23. ^ Squires, John (May 3, 2024). "We're Giving Away Tickets to The Strangers: Chapter 1 World Premiere in Los Angeles on May 8!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  24. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 19, 2024). "'IF' Rises To $34M+, 'Strangers: Chapter 1' Strong At Near $12M, 'Back To Black' Goes Belly-Up At $2.8M – Sunday Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  25. ^ "The Strangers: Chapter 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  26. ^ "The Strangers: Chapter 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Review: The Strangers - Chapter 1 is a rote rehash that lacks the original film's creepy suspense". Los Angeles Times. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Nordine, Michael (May 16, 2024). "The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review: Home-Invasion Series Hasn't Overstayed Its Welcome". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Ridgely, Charlie (May 12, 2024). "The Strangers: Chapter 1 Director Breaks Down Full Trilogy Plans". ComicBook.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  30. ^ Collis, Clark (October 4, 2023). "The home-invading killers are back in first look at multi-movie horror saga The Strangers Trilogy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Following some conflicting reports indicating otherwise,[4] producer Courtney Solomon restated that the trilogy is neither a prequel nor remake,[5] while the director and actors also stated that the trilogy takes place within the same continuity as the original movies.[6][7]

External links[edit]

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