The Strangers

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The Strangers

R

2008

1h 26m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

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. First, a mysterious and dangerous woman arrives at the door while James is out on an errand. When he returns, he accidentally kills his friend Mike (Glenn Howerton), mistaking him for an intruder. And then real danger does show up -- in the form of three masked torturers, leaving Kristen and James struggling for survival.

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Critics Consensus

The Strangers has a handful of genuinely scary moments, but they're not enough to elevate the end results above standard slasher fare.

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Sara Vilkomerson

Observer

The movie is best before the mayhem actually starts: First-time writer-director Bryan Bertino gets right some priceless details as the couple try to deal with the evening's earlier fallout, and elevates his movie above other horror films.

Mar 31, 2019

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

The formula of calm followed by shock is repeated until one tires of the technical polish of Bryan Bertino's directorial debut (with nods towards Funny Games and the French Them?) in the absence of coherent plot or character development.

Mar 31, 2019

Full Review

Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Bertino's directorial smarts are on display from the first slow-cut montage of rural homes glimpsed from the window of a moving car. It's a passage suggesting free-floating, arbitrary menace.

Mar 9, 2018

Full Review

Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

The Strangers is in a group of super nihilistic horror films that use lack of motive, message, and pretense to their advantage. The dread felt in this movie is strong, and is caused by the confusion and hopelessness of the protagonists’ situation.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 23, 2025

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

From the character design of the strangers to the overall anxiety-inducing tone, The Strangers sets the contemporary standard for home-invasion horror.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 12, 2025

Full Review

Cheryl Eddy

io9.com

It’s genuinely scary, maximizing the worst-case scenario of being targeted by ruthless killers, but doing it in a stripped-down way that makes it so much more alarming.

Sep 5, 2025

Full Review

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Yossam I

An extremely underrated horror that builds dread with a slow burn.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/25

Full Review

Melissa L

I thought this movie was really intense. I haven't any idea why it's garnered such low ratings. This is a psychological horror film; perhaps people were expecting a stereotypical "slasher" movie. This is not one.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/31/25

Full Review

Oaklee D

Perfect example of less is more, this was a smartly done horror film that pulled me in and refused to let go, an absolute must see.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/26/25

Full Review

Chris F

This could have been a short. Idk why the bad guys took so long to do what they did if that's what they were going to do in the end. You’d think they’d have a reason for doing what they do but no. They just kill and terrorize for no reason. Every cliche in the book. How do you have a gun and still lose to a bunch of knife wielding maniacs? Why didn't the lady call 911 when she had access to a phone? It’s nighttime, so you know it’s quiet. So how do the bad guys sneak in and out of the house without making a sound on wooden floors? They’re wearing boots ffs. This movie is dumb.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

Full Review

Shawna R

From the character design of the strangers to the overall anxiety-inducing tone, The Strangers sets the contemporary standard for home-invasion horror.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/14/25

Full Review

Josh M.

The storyline couldn’t have been more generic and the acting was painfully cringe. The ending left something to be desired. The only scary thing about this movie was the concept.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/13/25

Full Review

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Synopsis

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. First, a mysterious and dangerous woman arrives at the door while James is out on an errand. When he returns, he accidentally kills his friend Mike (Glenn Howerton), mistaking him for an intruder. And then real danger does show up -- in the form of three masked torturers, leaving Kristen and James struggling for survival.

Director: Bryan Bertino
Producer: Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Nathan Kahane
Screenwriter: Bryan Bertino
Distributor: Rogue Pictures
Production Co: Mandate Pictures, Vertigo, Intrepid Pictures, Rogue Pictures, E1 Entertainment
Rating: R (Violence/Terror|Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 30, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $52.5M
Runtime: 1h 26m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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