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Movies / On DVD / The Strangers
The Strangers

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The Strangers (2008)

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Reviews Counted:25

Fresh:18

Rotten:7

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: The Strangers provides a few scares, but offers little else to distinguish itself from other slasher films.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence/terror and language.

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:29-08-2008

Synopsis: For his film debut, director Brian Bertino has crafted a fantastically creepy horror flick based on the very simple premise of strangers who come knocking late at night. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and... For his film debut, director Brian Bertino has crafted a fantastically creepy horror flick based on the very simple premise of strangers who come knocking late at night. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have arrived at a secluded vacation home in the woods after attending a friend's wedding. It's four in the morning, and they're both tearful and emotionally exhausted after a disagreement about their relationship. As they awkwardly try to navigate the long night together, they are distracted by the sound of a heavy knock at the door. They open it to find a dazed young woman hidden in the shadows. Assuming she is lost, James sends her away, but Kristen is disturbed by the late-night visit. When James leaves to go on a drive and pick up some cigarettes, Kristen is left alone, and we watch her move through the huge house in a painfully eerie silence, all the while knowing that she is being watched. By the time James returns, Kristen is in hysterics, and together they must face the terrifying fact that they are indeed in grave danger. Both Tyler and Speedman give excellent, understated performances that lend the film a truly frightening edge of realism. The story's simplicity is a refreshing change from over-the-top torture films like SAW, and the violence in the film is minimal, and much of it off camera. THE STRANGERS also lacks any big-budget special effects. You won't find any CGI creatures or armies of zombies. The only monsters depicted here are the very real human kind, which is what leaves you thoroughly spooked and shaken, and ready to push a chair against your own front door. [More]

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis, Glenn Howerton, Alex Fisher, Peter Clayton-Luce

Director: Bryan Bertino

Director: Bryan Bertino
Screenwriter: Bryan Bertino
Producer: Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Nathan Kahane
Composer: Tomandandy
Studio: Rogue Pictures

[See More Credits]

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1 - 4 of 5

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Reviews for The Strangers

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1 - 14 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/24/08
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: CinemaZone.dk | comment Comment
03/05/09
CinemaZone.dk
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
02/27/09
Moviehole
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Upcomingdiscs.Com | comment Comment
12/03/08
Gino Sassani
Gino Sassani
Upcomingdiscs.Com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Movies | comment Comment
11/12/08
Liam Cullin
Liam Cullin
Empire Movies

I can't say the new ending is any worse than what you already saw in the theaters from a violence standpoint, but the brief addition seems a little more satisfying.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
10/22/08
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Authority.com | comment Comment
10/22/08
Fusion3600
Fusion3600
DVD Authority.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVDFuture.com | comment Comment
10/18/08
R. L. Shaffer
R. L. Shaffer
DVDFuture.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: dvdmg.com | comment Comment
10/17/08
dvdmg.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
10/16/08
Dean E. Winkelspecht
Dean E. Winkelspecht
DVDTown.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Verdict | comment Comment
10/16/08
Paul Pritchard
Paul Pritchard
DVD Verdict

The Strangers is a movie which only works while you are watching it. Unless you live alone on a rural road, you probably won't think about it again.

Full Review Source: DVDSleuth.com | comment Comment
10/15/08
Mike Long
Mike Long
DVDSleuth.com

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Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
10/08/08
Adam Tyner
Adam Tyner
DVDTalk.com

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Full Review Source: JackassCritics.com | comment Comment
09/18/08
Grim Ringler
Grim Ringler
JackassCritics.com
 
 
1 - 14 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
all

Latest News for The Strangers

August 28, 2008: Rogue Eager to Meet More Strangers Opens in new window
Rogue Pictures has greenlighted a sequel to the Liv Tyler horror movie "The Strangers," and hired the original's writer/director, Bryan Bertino, to pen the script. More...

June 05, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Black vs. Sandler in Comedy Showdown
Two big doses of comedy from a pair of Hollywood's funniest men will hit the multiplexes across North America on Friday in a fierce battle for the number one spot. For family... More...

May 29, 2008: Box Office Guru Preview: Sex in the Multiplex All Weekend Long
This weekend a quartet of New York City gals will try to boot Indiana Jones out of the number one spot at the North American box office as the much-hyped comedy Sex and the City... More...

May 29, 2008: Critical Consensus: Sex and the City Will Please Fans
This week at the movies, we've got love and commerce (Sex and the City: The Movie, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall) and romantic getaways gone wrong (The... More...

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