The Strangers (2008)

Director:

Bryan Bertino

Writer (WGA):

Bryan Bertino (written by)

Release Date:

30 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Lock the door. Pretend you're safe.

Plot:

A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.

Plot Keywords:

Tool Shed | Prologue | Cottage | Bag Over Head | Pamphlet

Awards:

5 nominations

US Showtimes:

(register to personalize)

Cast

Alex Fisher	...	Mormon Boy #1
Peter Clayton-Luce	...	Mormon Boy #2
Scott Speedman	...	James Hoyt
Liv Tyler	...	Kristen McKay
Gemma Ward	...	Dollface
Kip Weeks	...	Man in the Mask
Laura Margolis	...	Pin-Up Girl
Glenn Howerton	...	Mike

Also Known As:

The Faces (USA) (original script title)
Kleidoses? (Greece) [el]
Võõrad (Estonia) [et]
Ziyaretçiler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/terror and language.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Ireland:16 | Singapore:PG | USA:R (certificate #43588) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:16 | Malaysia:U

Filming Locations:

Florence, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Rogue Pictures

Trivia:

The script for the film was originally titled "The Faces".

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Kristen puts a record on, she places the needle at the beginning and we hear "The Sprout And The Bean" by Joanna Newsom. Yet no vinyl album has ever been released where this song is at the beginning of either side.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: What you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the FBI, there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005, Kristen McKay and James Hoyt left a friend's wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family's summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Strangers 2 (2010)

Soundtrack:

Sprout and the bean

An open "Dear John" to The Strangers.

You can't fool me. I'm on to you. I was on to you from the start. I knew it the instant you started out with the beginning at the end... That is a red flag for "I'm not confident in the script, or my characters, so I'll hook you in with flashes of cryptic violence." I admit, your beauty was hypnotic... almost sublime at times, but alas, you cannot polish a turd. Your pretty face and moody imagery can only get you (or me) in the door, but you lacked follow through. You lacked confidence. You lacked compelling characters I even remotely care about. You lacked even the actual John Laroquette to do the docu-drama Texas Chainsaw Massacre voice over in the beginning. (I mean, what would it cost to get him - a hot meal?) So what did you do to fill the obvious void? You followed all of those before you: Step. By. Step. There was not ONE genuinely scary moment in your heart, only silly, shallow shockers.

The sad thing is, I had such high hopes for you... for US. We could have had something really special together, there... in the dark. I can forgive so much, and I only ask for honesty in return. But you, with your obvious plot devices and 2nd rate scare tactics - you sadden me. Nay, you disgust me. My mama told me never to trust a pretty face. (And what a pretty face you had!)

But in the end, the joke is on me. You got my $11, my 90 minutes and were gone from my life the minute the lights went up. You're all the same. All of you.

Where are all the good thrillers??