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The Big Picture
-
Strangers: Chapter 1
is directed by Renny Harlin and follows a couple stalked by masked killers in a remote Airbnb, with a surprise mid-credits scene. - The film stars Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez, with Petsch also serving as an executive producer.
- The movie is not a prequel or sequel, but a new entry in the franchise with upcoming sequels following late this year and in 2025.
As you gear up to go back to the woods, for The Strangers: Chapter 1, you better stay until the bitter end, as there is a little surprise waiting for you halfway through the credits. You better make sure your doors are locked and there’s no one hiding on your porch because the Strangers are back! Horror director Renny Harlin brings us a reboot of the franchise that started back in 2008 with The Strangers followed by the easily forgotten The Strangers: Prey at Night in 2018. Chapter 1 is the first in a new trilogy, with Chapter 2 reportedly coming late this year and Chapter 3 following in early 2025. No spoilers here but the movie does end with a bloody showdown. So hold in that large Diet Coke a little longer and wait to see what Harlin has hidden for you at the very end.
The Strangers: Chapter 1
- Release Date
- May 17, 2024
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Cast
- Madelaine Petsch , Rachel Shenton , Gabriel Basso , Richard Brake , Ema Horvath
- Writers
- Alan R. Cohen , Alan Freedland
What Is ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ About?
The new reboot follows a very similar premise to the 2008 film. Couple Maya and Ryan (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) are happily in love as they take a cross-country road trip, all the while celebrating their fifth anniversary. When they stop in a small, remote town somewhere in Oregon, their car breaks down, forcing them to spend the night in a remote Airbnb. The locals of the small town are as suspicious of the couple, and from the trailer, they could be harboring secrets of their own. Just like in the original, a trio of masked killers — Man in the Mask, Pin-Up Girl, and Dollface — descend upon the house armed with axes and butcher knives, turning the couple’s romantic evening into the stuff of nightmares. The couple must then spend the entire night fighting for their lives. The home invasion subgenre is one known for its realism, and there have been some exceptional entries. From pre-Hill House Mike Flanagan‘s Hush to Adam Wingard‘s cult-favorite, You’re Next. there have been plenty of quality horror films that have capitalized on the fear of being unsafe in the one place you should feel the most secure.
Who Are the Cast and Crew Behind ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’
Starring in Chapter 1 is Madelaine Petsch, best known for her performance as Cheryl Blossom in the long-running CW/Netflix show, Riverdale. This is Petsch’s first leading role since the end of Riverdale, swapping out spooky small-town mysteries for a grim home invasion. Petsch also serves as an executive producer on the film, which she discussed in an interview with Digital Spy, saying “The nice thing of being a producer on these films is that I knew every single thing that was happening every day, so they couldn’t trick me, but there are moments that still stick with me.”Joining her is Froy Gutierrez, who plays Ryan, Maya’s long-term boyfriend. You might recognize Gutierrez from the Prime Video series Cruel Summer, in which he played Jamie Henson.
Renny Harlin is a name most horror fans will recognize. From helming the fourth installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, to bringing back the shark movie with Deep Blue Sea, Harlin is an action-driven director who adds a nice dollop of camp to his cinematic frights. Screenwriters Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland penned the film, based on the original story by Bryan Bertino.
Unsettling ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Security Footage Teaser Puts a Killer at Your Door
‘Riverdale’s Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez star in the latest film in the horror franchise.
Is ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ a Sequel, Prequel, Reboot, or What?
How exactly The Strangers: Chapter 1 fits into the greater franchise has been described in many different ways. It’s been called a reboot, a remake, and even a prequel, but that’s impossible as the characters are using iPhones in the film, meaning that it takes place a long time after 2008 when Liv Tyler can’t find her dinky flip phone. None of the original cast returns for this movie, so it can’t be compared to the likes of the latest Scream installments as a legacy sequel. Director Renny Harlin explained in an interview with ComicBook.com that Chapter 1 “is not a carbon copy in any way, but it definitely has a similar story of two young people in an environment that should be cozy and safe and turns out to be a night of all nightmares.” He also hinted at what the next two films would explore, adding: “I feel like myself, and I’m sure a lot of the people who love the love, the original film were asking the question, like, why did this happen? And who were these people? And where did they come from and where are they going next? And that’s the kind of answers that I wanted to explore in the second and the third movie and just go beyond what the original movie was.” So, how exactly the film these new movies tie into the franchise as a whole may not be revealed until Chapter 2 or 3, which will be released later this year and early 2025, respectively.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 breaks into theaters on May 17.
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