I Was Wrong About The Strangers (2008)
… Kind Of
Remember The Strangers from 2008? Liv Tyler with a face that looked like someone tried to make a doll of her and exaggerated all the wrong features. Scott Speedman, rising star, wait… Scott who? And behind it all, director Bryan Bertino.
Yeah, that overrated piece of shit movie.
Sounds harsh, I know. But for years I hated The Strangers. I tried watching it two or three times because people swore it was brilliant. And every time I came away muttering, “What the hell are you people seeing that I don’t?”
Younger Me: The Hater Years
Back then, I lumped Bertino in with directors who get way too much hype. His second film, Mockingbird, I gave a chance to mostly because I thought it was some kind of Munsters adjacent thing. And honestly? I liked it… right up until the stupid ending. To this day, Mr. Sir and I joke that it has to be a prequel to The Strangers.
By the time The Strangers: Prey at Night hit eight years later, I was done. Didn’t care who directed it. Didn’t care that Bertino wasn’t at the helm. And when I heard he was still listed as a writer? Forget it. Game over.
So when a new Strangers trilogy got announced with Renny Harlin directing, my reaction was: Nope. I’m out.
The Revisit: Older Me Eats Crow
Fast forward fifteen years. The Strangers pops up on Netflix. Against my better judgment, I hit play.
And you know what? Don’t tell younger Antheny (that know it all, horror jerk), but… I enjoyed it.
Yep. You read that right. I actually liked The Strangers.
I feel bad for all the trash I talked about Bryan Bertino. He’s a good director. Does this mean I’m gonna rewatch Mockingbird? Hell no. That ending still ruins the whole thing for me, and I’m not suddenly a found footage guy either. But The Strangers? I get it now.
What Works (and What Still Doesn’t)
Let me be clear: I don’t suddenly love the movie. There’s plenty to unpack.
- Dumb character decisions. They’re eye-rolling, but not enough to shatter suspension of disbelief.
- Teleporting killers. The way they appear out of nowhere just for creepy effect? Yeah, still silly.
- Writing. Not amazing, but solid. Good enough to support the mood Bertino was going for.
- Direction. Credit where it’s due… the film looks good, feels tight, and has real atmosphere.
At the end of the day, Bertino did his job. And I’ll even say it: thank you Bryan Bertino for The Strangers. Words I never thought I’d type.
Final Thoughts
I still don’t get the insane hype around Bertino. Same way I don’t get the hype around The Purge. If you’re gonna give me a serious, dark toned film, don’t cheat me with cheap character stupidity just to create a “scary moment.” That’s as bad as the old “cat jump scare.” It feels hokey, and it kills tension.
But credit where it’s due, fifteen years later, I’ve changed my mind. The Strangers is good. Not great, not perfect, but good. And now I’m actually excited to dive into Prey at Night and see where the series goes next.
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