The Strangers might not have been a hit with the critics when it came out in 2008, but it has since picked up a following among horror fans as one of the best modern-day slasher movies.
We saw a direct sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night, in 2018 that wasn't quite as well-received. So inevitably, given that it's such an effective premise, we've now gone back to the beginning for a reboot – but not exactly as you'd expect.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the start of an already-filmed trilogy of movies, introducing a new couple who endure the Airbnb trip from hell when they're forced to spend the night in a remote cabin and three masked strangers arrive.
It sounds familiar because it is familiar. This is essentially a beat-by-beat remake in all but name, before the next two movies take this series in a new direction. But as horror retreads go, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is efficiently grim and satisfying.
As with the original movie, The Strangers: Chapter 1 claims to be based on one of the most violent home-invasion crimes. But you won't find the story of Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) anywhere as it's fictional.
They're on a road trip to celebrate their anniversary when they take a food stop at a diner in a small town. There are weird vibes from the get-go especially as Maya is a – shock horror – vegan, but their meal passes by without incident.
When they go to get back on the road though, Ryan finds that their car doesn't start anymore. A local mechanic can fix it, but he needs to wait until the morning for a part, so the couple are recommended a cabin nearby that they can stay the night at.
You don't need to have seen any horror movies to know this is a Bad Idea.
After these slight tweaks to the setup, The Strangers: Chapter 1 plays out largely as the original movie did. It means that fans won't find anything particularly surprising here and for some, it could prove somewhat pointless, but it's well-made all the same.
Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez are an engaging, likeable lead duo with a believably well-worn chemistry. You'll know it's unlikely to end well for either of them, but you'll trick yourself into believing that it might – even as you roll your eyes at Ryan for making some seriously dumb calls.
The anonymous nature of The Strangers is still chilling and the remake smartly avoids adding any reason to it. It's the lack of reason that made the original so terrifying, combined with those iconic mask designs, and it's the same here. (The concern is whether the two extra movies attempt to rationalise their actions, but that's a future issue.)
And while the plot might not bring much new to the table, director Renny Harlin does bring a freshness to the set pieces. A basement escape has a wince-inducing nail-in-the-hand moment, while he largely eschews cheap jump scares for the creepier instances of glimpsing a Stranger in the corner of a frame.
Where this story goes from here will also bring the fresh element to this reimagining of the series. The trilogy as a whole has been spoken about by Petsch and Harlin as a character study of both the victim and perpetrators of random violent crimes, so it could get bogged down in the trauma of it all.
But based on The Strangers: Chapter 1, the team involved know how to craft an effective and tense horror set piece. Hopefully the follow-up movies can combine that with an interesting and unique story arc that justifies this new take on a classic.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is released in cinemas on May 17.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
