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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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The Strangers There is an art to making great horror/thriller films. Anyone can put people in a deserted camp or on a lost highway and have them try and stay a step ahead of some insane maniac with a chainsaw. We have all seen those films that are so predictable the only difference is the face behind the hockey mask. But the new film from writer/director Bryan Bertino, though not perfect or completely unique, does a nice job at creating a level of intensity and realness that makes it terrifying and creepy on a new level. It is subtle and chilling in its setup and hits home with any one who, well, is simply at home. A young couple spending the night at a family vacation home find themselves stalked by three prowlers. Bored kids or homicidal lunatics? The chilling part of this tale is that you are not really sure. Or even more chilling is they could be a combination of both. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have already had a long and trying evening when a loud bang on the front door at 4 am starts a whole new level of intensity. What happens next is a fight to stay alive and elude the would-be tormentors. This movie will make you jump and cringe and hang on the edge of your seat, or your partners arm. That in itself makes it an enjoyable thriller. Sure some of the shock is predictable and cliché but it still does its part. My suggestion is to watch as few trailers as possible so that you aren't as aware of many of the fright scenes. Much of the films score comes from the old turntable and the records the couple plays while they are there. It adds a scary, old school creepiness to the imagery and feel of the film. This coupled with solid acting from both Tyler and Speedman make this a better than average thriller. But then I do scare easy so I was an easy target from the start. The decision to use masks on the assailants was a good call and Bertino says that the fact of not being able to see who your captors always gives it a new level of intensity and weirdness. And he is right. The placing of the creeps in the yard and behind trees, just standing there masked and unmoving is terrifying all on its own. The Strangers is rated R for violence/terror
and language. It is intense and at times bloody and definitely not for
younger viewers. There is something to be said for the realness and unattached
way the crazies in this film act that makes it even more mentally disturbing
than most slasher flicks. That said, it is well done and far better than
most of this genre. One reason being that we all can relate to the events
and the fact that it could happen to anyone. I give The Strangers 3.5 out
of 5 record needles. Just leave a light on for when you get home.
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