Hi all!

Today I am ranking The Strangers franchise. Director of the recent trilogy, Renny Harlin, has hinted at a future expansion of the universe. However, at this stage, we have five films total to cover. The series follows three masked humans nicknamed Dollface, Pin-Up Girl and Scarecrow. They terrorise/kill random victims purely because ‘they were home.’

It’s no secret these movies are quite hit and miss. Chapter 1, 2 and 3 in particular, have received plenty of criticism for being pointless, boring and just plain bad. I have a lot to say, so without further ado, let’s get into it!

Note: This post is in partnership with JustWatch. 

1.) The Strangers: Prey At Night

By a country mile, the best film in The Strangers series is Prey At Night. If only they were all like this one.

Mike, and his wife Cindy, take their children on a road trip that becomes their worst nightmare. They find themselves in a desperate fight for survival at a secluded mobile home park, when three masked psychopaths show up to satisfy their thirst for blood.

This is how you do a Strangers movie. The villains are at their most menacing and terrifying in this instalment. Better yet, they continue to maintain their anonymity (more on that later). Timeline wise, this is the second film in the original duology. It’s set after the first one. What I love most about Prey At Night is how much it feels like a genuine scary slasher. It’s dark, gritty, gory and unsettling. It has everything going for it, including a great kill in an outdoor pool. I think what made it so successful was the director behind it. Johannes Roberts also gave us Primate, V/H/S 99 and more. He’s not afraid to push boundaries, which is what this franchise needs. It’s the only one of the five I would willingly rewatch.

2.) The Strangers

In second place, we have the original movie from 2008. To be honest, I initially gave it a low rating. I didn’t understand the hype surrounding it. Since then, I have changed my mind. In comparison to what came after, it’s actually pretty decent.

Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home, but their stay turns out to be anything but peaceful. What follows is a deadly evening in the form of three masked torturers, leaving the couple struggling for survival.

I remember on first watch feeling so confused. Who was Tamara? Why were this poor couple being targeted? What was with the masks? I wanted answers. The very last line: “because you were home” didn’t satisfy me. I needed things to make sense. Upon reflection, I realised just how effective and unsettling it was not knowing anything. They are The Strangers after all. There doesn’t need to be a rhyme or reason for it. The film itself isn’t the most exciting but the message and intention behind everything is clear. I definitely appreciate it a lot more in hindsight.

3.) The Strangers: Chapter 2

Here is where it all starts to go downhill. Chapter 1, 2 and 3 were so unnecessary. They took everything that made this franchise mysterious/eerie and ruined it. Don’t ask me which film I liked the most. Ask me which one I disliked the least.

After learning that one of their victims, Maya, is still alive, three masked maniacs return to finish the job. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya soon finds herself in a brutal fight for survival. 

The only reason I can tolerate Chapter 2 slightly more than the other two is the opening scene. I enjoyed the pursuit in the hospital (reminiscent of Halloween II) and the paranoia Maya (Madelaine Petsch), experiences throughout the film. She’s fantastic as an actress. I also want to commend the gore. There were some effectively bloody moments. Having said all that, this sequel is just a 90 minute chase sequence. It really doesn’t have any sort of plot or direction. It’s a filler movie, bridging the gap between Chapter 1 and 3. Do not expect depth or major story development. You won’t find it here. For those uninterested in The Strangers lore, you will not enjoy the flashback sequences. Despite my curiousity, they felt very out of place. There was something almost cringy about them. Furthermore, there was a scene in the middle of the film that was just bizarre. I could not believe what I was seeing. The trilogy is not unbearable to watch, it’s just fruitless.

4.) The Strangers: Chapter 1

In second last place, I have Chapter 1. I went into this “prequel” with high hopes and came out utterly perplexed.

After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorised by three masked strangers, who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive. 

The biggest crime this film commits is unoriginality. It is basically a copy and paste of the first movie. It didn’t do anything we hadn’t seen before. Additionally, the dialogue was corny and the gore could have been pushed so much further. Not to mention, the infuriatingly stupid decisions made by both lead actors. I wanted to yell at the screen. Aside from the cabin in the woods setting, there wasn’t much I enjoyed about Chapter 1. Renny Harlin wanted audiences to finally have answers (despite no-one asking for them) and yet, this instalment provided none. Make it make sense!

5.) The Strangers: Chapter 3

Easily the worst Strangers film in the franchise is Chapter 3. After all that, this was the final result? What a waste of time!

We follow a traumatised Maya, as she attempts to escape a rural town after killing one of the masked killers. Recaptured by Scarecrow and Dollface, she is forced to endure a psychological reckoning, with the killers attempting to recruit her into their fold.

There is nothing shocking or revealing about the third movie in the trilogy. There is no payoff. You mean the creepy man that has been popping up since Chapter 2 is one of the masked killers? No way! I never saw that coming! Maya, as a character, is completely devoid of life. What I enjoyed about the previous instalment was her spirit to fight back. There is none of that here. She is just going through the emotions, dead inside. I didn’t get to the end and finally understand what the point of this series was. I didn’t care, nor feel sorry for any of the villains. Their backstories were pointless, as was the journey it took to get there.

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank The Strangers franchise?

Peace & Love xoxo