A young couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) cosy up in a vacation home until they are terrorized by three masked assailants. Lock your doors and pretend you're safe.
Attractive young couple Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are terrorised by a trio of hooded psychopaths, in first time director Bryan Bertino's 'The Strangers'. Don't be fooled by an impressive trailer, 'Straw Dogs'-esque set up or even the presence of Liv Tyler, for this wild goose chase of a movie simply isn't prepared to deliver the goods, and worse still, hides behind the conceit of minimalism and hyper-real misdirection. A rebuffed marriage proposal forces our protagonists to re-evaluate their relationship and soak up some awkward silences at a secluded summer retreat; their tedious, introspective navel gazing is rudely interrupted by some Manson family wannabes who besiege and harass the hapless pair into a panicky stupor. Speedman ('Underworld') tries his best to make the dejected, emasculated and almost entirely useless; James, seem somewhat likeable whilst Tyler's Kirsten, though stroppy and distant, conveys her extreme emotional vulnerability in light of the circumstances to create a believable, if often annoying, character. One of the film's major drawbacks is that the director fails to create any suspense: which, in an alleged suspense thriller / psychological horror, proves deadly. Now I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and put any schoolboy errors down to inexperience; but never have I sat through a slower 90 minutes of film. Pace is almost non-existent and you're as irritated by the couple's stupidity, as you are by the dull and nondescript intruders.
Mis-en-scene is OK and Liv Tyler looks stunning so it's not a total loss. One particularly unsettling moment; where a case of mistaken identity leads to a shocking and tragic blunder, does stand out, though many scenes are lifted directly from 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Vacancy' and 'Funny Games'. 'The Strangers' could've been a Hitchcockian mini-masterpiece on a par with 'Eden Lake' but is more of a hitch ridden cock up which, strangely enough, is almost exactly like the French movie 'Ils' from where it draws inspiration, or plagiarizes, if you prefer. Never talk to strangers and don't bother watching any movies about them either: A crashing bore.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Explore your worst fears imaginable with this shocking suspense thriller inspired by disturbing true events. After a 4 a.m. knock at the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt's (Scott Speedman) remote getaway becomes a psychological night of terror as three masked strangers invade. Now they must go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of if they hope to survive. Actors Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Glenn Howerton, Laura Margolis, Kip Weeks & Sterling Beaumon Director Bryan Bentino Certificate 15 years and over Year 2007 Screen Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic Languages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) Additional Languages Italian ; Spanish Subtitles English for the hearing impaired ; Italian ; Spanish Duration 1 hour and 24 minutes (approx) Region Region 2 - Will only play on European Region 2 or multi-region DVD players.
Horror film starring Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler, marking the debut of writer/director Bryan Bertino. When young couple Kristen (Tyler) and James (Speedman) arrive at an isolated holiday home belonging to James' parents, they are looking forward to getting some much-needed rest after travelling back from a wedding reception. But terror awaits them when three masked strangers burst into the house in the middle of the night, turning their peaceful retreat into a living hell and forcing them to fight for their lives.
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