The Strangers: Chapter 1 Releases on May 17th

In May of 2008 The Strangers hit theaters across the country. The cult classic gave audiences a memorable experience, accurately depicting the fear involved with home invasions. The director, Ryan Bertino, stated the film was inspired by true events, namely the Manson family Tate murders and some break-ins that occurred in Bertino's hometown growing up. What The Strangers did well was play on that fear of being home alone at night. We've all had instances where we spooked ourselves hearing the slightest noise or seeing the smallest shadow. What scares us most is to know it's actually real, and to see that someone is there. Throw a scary mask on the stranger and boom, you've got a horror flick.

At the end of the 2008 film, we get a closer look at the people invading the young couple, James and Krystan. They tell the couple they were doing what they were doing "because they were home". That line hits hard and adds to the fear of senseless killings and invasions. To kill without reason is one of the most appalling things out there, and it ramps up the stakes tenfold for our characters. And while The Strangers stays fresh in our minds, it wasn't without flaws. In fact, both the critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes are below 50%. Reasons for the lower scores were largely due to the lackluster story which had little depth, and only senseless killings. Some also noted the stupid and passive characters as a reason for the lower score. Nonetheless, The Strangers is regarded as one of best home-invasion films of the 21st century. We can't say the same for its sequel Prey at Night.

So, when I heard there was a trilogy being released within this universe, I was excited. Directed by seasoned director, Renny Harlin, The Strangers Chapter 1 follows Maya (Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch) who drives along the country with her boyfriend, Ryan, as they start a new life together in the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon and they are forced to stay at an isolated Airbnb. Through the night, they are terrorized by three murderous masked strangers. It's said that the film acts as a prequel to the original and gives us a closer look at the masked killers. We get a stronger sense of who they are and why they do what they do beyond the vague "because you were home". I will say the trailer was not as enticing as I'd hoped. We got some good shots of the cabin style home the couple stays in and a few images of the killers lurking in the house, but that's about it. I'd be lying if I said I weren't a bit worried about this one. It's of course intriguing to see this slated as a trilogy and I do think the series has potential, but after Prey at Night I worry whether there's anything truly worthwhile here. Are you excited for The Strangers Chapter 1?