"The Strangers: Chapter One" lacks all the qualities that made the original "The Strangers" so unsettling and frightening. The antagonists are immediately hampered because they don’t benefit from the surprise they had before. We've witnessed this scenario repeatedly, as they move through darkness, watching their victims before striking with no pity or regret. The attempts at startling the audience fall flat due to pr…

This new version of what was previously a much better story turned out to be really disappointing. When trying to create a series of films or a whole franchise, it’s important that each installment can work well on its own. This film doesn't manage to do that; it follows a predictable three-part storyline where very little of real importance occurs. The movie has no sense of suspense at all, and it completely fail…

The Strangers: Chapter 1 didn’t quite live up to expectations. While it establishes an atmosphere of suspense and benefits from a powerful musical score, and is visually striking—particularly with the masks—the film ultimately falls short. It initially suggests brutal events are coming, but by the time the credits roll, I wasn't particularly impressed; it felt like standard horror movie material at its best. Ma…

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 …