The Strangers
Jenna Avery-Lawyer
My heart was not able to relax throughout this entire film, nor was my sphincter. I'm just saying I was tense, extremely so, and was also scared shitless.
I'd begun to lose hope in horror flicks. They all seem so uniform, and tend to lean towards a boring mediocrity that appears to have become the norm for scary movies these days. The Strangers does not fall into this category. Instead of lumping it with recent films such as One Missed Call or Boogeyman, which fit the genre of boring and predictable horror, I would instead compare it to Rob Zombie's films House of a 1000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects. It is brutality at its best. There is nothing scarier than real people destroying real people, especially, when they wear eerie white masks.
Brutality without a visible motive, and torture with no apparent escape, create the scariest feeling of all; Hopelessness. I was reminded of a movie released a few months ago, Funny Games. That movie showcased pointless violence, with no resolution in sight. Ironically enough, that supposedly pointless movie was made with the intent to make a point. People like violence. They like to watch it. They like to pretend to look away as they cringe at the inhumanity of it all. Even though these movies featured similar plots, the outcome was completely different. While Funny Games amused and intrigued me, The Strangers successfully made me uncomfortable with fear.
There is a rather long set up between the brutalized couple, played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, that may stretch just a bit too long. However, the lengthy set up between the two only helps build tension, and it made me even more anxious knowing that they had relationship problems.
Slowly, very slowly, it builds until that initial knock on the door. I never knew a knock on a door could be so horrifying. The couple is toyed with for about 60 minutes by the three masked assailants (it felt longer though). It got to the point where I felt like I was submitting myself to voluntary torture. I was willingly making myself uncomfortable by watching this movie.
Now the question arises: Was it good? I think I have sufficiently stated that the film was indeed horrifying, but was it good? I would have to say yes, it was. The quality of acting was fine, and the camera work didn't go unnoticed. It was like the camera itself was a character, following these poor people, but unable to help them.
I suggest seeing The Strangers in theaters. Those masked figures might not seem as terrifying on a TV. Plus, the audience adds personality to the room that becomes infectious. I don't think I'd watch it again. Not because it was bad, but because once is definitely enough.
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1 comment:
jenna...when i had to put this together with photos and the preview to post it...i...well...i'm going to have nightmares without even seeing the film.
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