The Strangers shocked horror enthusiasts in 2008 when it subverted many classic horror movie tropes. The movie quickly became a cult classic, raking in $82.4 million at the box office despite its initial mixed critical reception. The sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night, was less successful and was largely regarded as a disappointment compared to the original movie. Both films retraced the gruesome events of a homicidal home invasion scenario where three masked people only known as “Dollface,” “Pin-Up Girl,” and “Man in the Mask,” torment a couple after knocking on their doors and asking for “Tamara.”

The trio then infiltrate the couples’ homes, with the first film being an isolated summer house in South Carolina, and the sequel set in a remote trailer park in Ohio. The inhabitants of each abode are then stalked and murdered by the masked assailants who, when asked why they were doing this, responded with the chilling iconic line: “Because you were home.” With no further explanation of backstories or motives, the audiences were shocked at such a bleak, yet realistic, examination of the random violence perpetrated by The Strangers.

Now, fans of the franchise might finally get some answers with the upcoming third installment of the film, The Strangers: Chapter 1, which serves as a prequel to the 2008 film and has two subsequent films already in the pipeline. The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Chapter 3 are both currently in post-production with release dates set for 2024. Read on to find out where and when you can watch the latest addition to the growing franchise of The Strangers, and how the legacy might live on through three separate prequel movies.

When Is the Release Date for ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 will premiere on May 17, 2024. All three chapters were filmed in late 2022 in Slovakia in order to allow them to be released close together. Director Renny Harlin (Devil’s Pass) stated that it was the “challenge of a lifetime,” due to continuity, set design, and performances by the actors. Chapter 2 is said to be released in either September or October, while Chapter 3 will have an early 2025 release.

Is ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Going to be In Theaters?

Absolutely! There has been a lot of excited chatter about The Strangers: Chapter 1 and how it can possibly shed some light on the background of the three masked assailants from the original movie from 2008. Backed by Lionsgate Films, Fifth Element Productions, and Frame Film, the movie will have an exclusive theatrical release on May 17, 2024.

Find Showtimes for ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’

The Strangers: Chapter 1 will be available to watch in most major theaters across the country on May 17. The links below will help you find tickets at a theater near you! Just make sure nobody is following you home if you catch a later showtime…

Watch the Trailer for ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’

As you can see, the trailer does well to include several throwbacks to the 2008 film, such as the eerie and sociopathic response to the question “Why are you doing this?” as well as an ax chopping through the front door as the protagonists desperately attempt to keep The Strangers outside the house. Just as the first and second films of the franchise had iconic “creepy” song moments, the trailer for The Strangers: Chapter 1 adds a new seemingly lighthearted song to the collection: “Trouble” by Cage the Elephant.

What Is ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ About?

Under the direction of Renny Harlin, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a prequel to the events of the 2008 film, The Strangers. As a young couple, Maya and Ryan, travel to the Pacific Northwest to begin a new life with each other. Maya is played by Riverdale’s Madelaine Petsch and her boyfriend of five years, Ryan, played by Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2). When their car unexpectedly breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they decide to stay the night at a rented Airbnb. Just as they’re settling into their new accommodations for the night, they are approached by a stranger who knocks on their door, asking for “Tamara.” After they turn the stranger away, saying they must be at the wrong house, the rest of the night is filled with terror as three masked strangers torment the couple from outside and within the house.

The only other clues and theories that eagle-eyed fans have speculated about this prequel movie lie within one of the last lines from the original film. “It’ll be easier next time.” Which is said by one of the female perpetrators to the other. This presumably comes from Pin-Up Girl to Dollface after they stop the car and Dollface receives a pamphlet from the young boys sharing their religious information throughout the neighborhood. When the boy asked if she “was a sinner,” her response was “Sometimes.”

This would imply that The Strangers: Chapter 1 could include the first time that Dollface was introduced to this murderous lifestyle by the Man in the Mask and his partner, Pin-Up Girl, as the two of them are shown in the trailer to appear to be leaning against each other affectionately. Also, in the new trailer, we see two boys who are similarly aged and dressed as the ones from the first film, further implying that Dollface was possibly the only one who felt conflicted about her actions in the 2008 film after she saw the boys on the road at the end of the movie.

Where to Watch ‘The Strangers’ and ‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’

Both The Strangers and The Strangers: Prey at Night are currently available to watch on the streaming service, Max, and are also available to rent or purchase on other streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others. Make sure to watch both of the movies before you check out The Strangers: Chapter 1 so you can pick up on the subtle references and acknowledgments to the original films that will surely be sprinkled throughout this prequel to the horrifying franchise. You can watch both movies by clicking the links below!

Watch The Strangers

Watch The Strangers: Prey at Night