People Are Strange When You're A Stranger

I have to say that I enjoy going out to the movies. Sure, the seats aren't always that comfortable, and the prices for tickets and snacks are outrageous. And then there's the morons who'll talk during the movie and the rare occasion where it seems like the projectionist has no clue what they're doing. But still, I do like going to movie theaters.

I say all that because I hit the road last night and caught The Strangers. The plot sounds a lot like the recently released Funny Games, in that some psychos trap two or three innocent people in their house and royally screw with them with the intent of killing them by the end of the movie. But considering I have yet to actually see Funny Games, I can't compare it to The Strangers. But if they're anything alike, then Funny Games can't be too bad, because I really liked The Strangers.

There's a few parts that didn't really work, like the cheap jump scare that ends the movie. But aside from the small handful of weak moments, I thought the movie was quite effective. There's plenty of jump scares, which could get tiresome after a while, but it's counterbalanced by a healthy heaping of suspense. The really creepy thing about The Strangers is that you never clearly see the faces of the villains, and the only motive they give is "because [the victims] were home." The idea that these three people, who could be anybody, are terrorizing poor Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman for no good reason at all is frightening in and of itself. At least, that idea scares me.

Overall, I have to say that I liked The Strangers. Are there some things about it that I would change if I could? Yeah. But you could say that about almost every movie. The Strangers is a rare movie in an era where most horror movies are sequels or remakes. It's an original movie that, if you let it get under your skin, is pretty darn scary. So if I'm going with three and a half stars on my patent-pending World Famous Five-Star Sutton Scale. And let it be known that The Strangers is a prime example of why you should have a peephole installed in your front door.