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The Strangers

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The Strangers

R

Released May 30, 2008

1h 25m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

165 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

Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Me gusta el cine

It's not perfect, but it still works—still—as a good example of the genre; it's not hard to see, therefore, why it ended up becoming a franchise that continues to this day. [Full review in Spanish].

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 2, 2025

Full Review

Preston Barta

Denton Record-Chronicle

A taut and incredibly gripping horror story that distills its subgenre to its core elements.

Oct 25, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Not even Bertino’s impressive formal control as a first-time director can make up for how empty the material is and how absurdly familiar the whole thing proves to be

Rated: 1/4

May 19, 2024

Full Review

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Gabrielle H

Holy snoozefest. Takes over an hour for it to actually get scary and even then the fear factor is awful. It’s slow burn as hell and the pacing is awful. Also the main characters are so unlikable and awfully stupid. It’s literally just a woman running around frantically with no plan and 0 common sense. I’d say the most frightening thing in this movie is how long I have to wait for something good to happen.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

Alexander T

Bro… this movie is crazy. All of the movies in the franchise are crazy. They’re also very scary.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

Full Review

Jim C

A masterclass in atmospheric horror — a chilling, slow-burn descent into fear that proves less is more. Love.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

Full Review

Paul S

This movie was one of the most intense I've ever seen. It was terrifying yet so fun to watch. I definitely recommend it for horror and thriller fans!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

Full Review

Qinq D

So haunting with a slow burn terror

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/25

Full Review

Movie W

Creepy slow burn film that is masterfully shot, acted, and edited

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/26/25

Full Review

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Bryan Bertino

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Kristen

Scott Speedman

James

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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 25m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby SRD, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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