Despite its low Rotten Tomatoes score, I’ve always found the original 2008 “The Strangers” to be a solid horror movie. It takes a simple concept and makes it incredibly unsettling, because home invasions do happen, and killers don’t always have a reason. Usually, as the movie makes clear, it’s because “you’re home.”
With a concept that stripped-down, you’d think sequels or spinoffs would only dilute its impact, right? Well, in 2018 we got “The Strangers: Prey at Night,” an averagely fun entry that swaps a home invasion for a trailer park showdown, with the masked intruders engaging in some tense action sequences.
A few years later came the launch of a new trilogy from director Renny Harlin, billed as a “relaunch and expansion of the franchise,” starting with “The Strangers – Chapter 1” last year. While it succeeded in building tension, it struggled to bring anything new to a series we’ve been familiar with for years.
Now, with “The Strangers – Chapter 2” landing in theaters today, I wish I could say this second movie is stronger and justifies the trilogy. Unfortunately, it’s so much weaker, and the best way to describe it might be a horror version of “Groundhog Day” with scenes so repetitive you’ll probably feel a deep sense of déjà vu.
That said, I don’t think “The Strangers – Chapter 2” deserves quite as much harsh criticism as it’s getting, and there are elements I did enjoy. Here’s my honest take on this middle(ling) installment.
Trapped in a predictable loop
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” picks up after the events of the first chapter: Maya (Madelaine Petsch) survived the home invasion but she is still being hunted. The movie opens with Maya hospitalized, barely recovering, but soon realizes that the masked killers have followed her there.
The first act is arguably the strongest, as it takes place mostly in the hospital with Maya using her surroundings to evade the killers. This includes a scene where she has to hide in the morgue and another where she escapes in a dumbwaiter. While these chase sequences are predictable, it felt like the only part of the movie that wasn’t in “Groundhog Day” mode; I particularly liked a moment where one of the killers sprinted down a hallway toward her.
The same goes for a later scene in the first act that shows Maya’s growing paranoia as she’s stuck in a car with strangers. Not the masked killers, but actual strangers, and she doesn’t know whether to trust them. There’s a good sense of paranoia and unease woven throughout, making you question every character she meets.
I was utterly disappointed by the rest of the movie, as it essentially falls into the trap of “chase scene, Maya wandering around helplessly, flashback, and repeat.” I felt like I could predict the script from that point onwards, and any ounce of horror had been wrung dry.
Not to give too much away, but there’s a scene in the middle of the movie when Maya is out in the wilderness that’s so unbelievably random and silly, I genuinely couldn’t believe it. Not only is it jarring, but it completely shifts the tone. I honestly thought I was watching some strange comedy. It feels like the creators just wanted to put her character through as much (unrealistic) hell as possible.
As you’d expect, a repetitive movie lacks real entertainment value, and it struggles to build tension when you can see a jump scare coming from a mile away. That’s why, if you’re genuinely curious to watch it, I’d recommend seeing it on the big screen. The theater experience might help elevate it, just a little.
Aside from its rinse-and-repeat nature, the movie does try to inject something new this time around through the use of flashbacks meant to give the Strangers some substance. It can get a bit confusing, because the whole point of these killers is that they don’t have a “why,” they do it simply because they can. Some of the flashbacks attempt to explain the whole “Is Tamara home?” situation, but they lack real juice when the content around them is weak.
As “The Strangers – Chapter 2” director teases in his own words, these chilling backstory reveals were an attempt to “look under the hood a little bit.”
Scarier in concept than execution
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” had a strong concept: Maya, the only survivor of the attacks, becomes an even bigger target. We haven’t seen a survivor in the franchise who has to live with that trauma and then face it again, simply because the Strangers enjoy the hunt. Unlike previous entries, which are usually centered on some type of home invasion, this chapter takes us through different locations like a hospital, a horse stable, and the wilderness in harsh weather conditions.
Unfortunately, the execution falls short, which is a shame because Harlin has stated the movie underwent “enhancement shoots” based on audience feedback from the first movie.
Petsch, however, gives a strong performance throughout the entire movie. We see her running (a lot) barefoot and in her hospital gown, delivering a convincing performance in a scene where her character has to re-stitch her stab wound (gnarly), and showing moments of paranoia clearly on her face when the camera gets up close and personal. You can tell she put everything into her performance and evolving arc, but it’s disappointing that the material doesn’t fully support that strength.
All in all, “The Strangers – Chapter 2” has flashes of promise, from Petsch’s committed performance to the occasional tense hospital sequences and the attempt to spice things up with flashbacks. That said, the movie sadly gets bogged down in repetition, predictable scares, and material that can’t support its ambitions. While seeing it on the big screen might elevate the experience slightly, it still struggles to justify the existence of a new trilogy or this franchise expansion.
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” is now in theaters.
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