W2TCH

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

2024 • 1h 31m • Horror, Thriller • R
On September 25, 2026
#10043▼ 5297
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CinemaSerf on The Strangers: Chapter 1

6/10 · May 23, 2024

The slow build-up and the fact that this installment is designated as part one doesn’t do much to create any real feeling of dread while we observe Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) on their drive to Portland. She's beginning a new position as an architect, and it seems she may have been the person who styled her boyfriend’s face—this sickeningly affectionate and attached couple arrives at a secluded rural diner. They aren't married, which appears to upset the people living there, and when they try to leave, their brand-new car won't start. Funny enough, there is an Airbnb close by. A remote cabin with all the conveniences of home—even some Dolly Parton music on vinyl. Hungry, he borrows a motorcycle to get some burgers; she’s left behind, which is when her anxiety begins. Is someone observing her? Is she truly alone? Will Ryan return before she finishes smoking something questionable, listening to an entire record album, and taking a long shower? Was the burger place in California? It becomes apparent fairly quickly that they are facing some kind of threat, and together they’ll need to rely on every bit of their intelligence and cunning to survive. The setup is somewhat similar to "Cabin in the Woods." The moonlit forest provides a setting for some silly decisions and some truly awful acting/writing. There's a small amount of suspense generated towards the end, but there isn’t really anything fresh here, and it’s obvious from not long after the start what part two will involve. It’s not awful, but very foreseeable and ultimately underwhelming.

Source on TMDB