After returning from a wedding reception, a couple staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What ensues is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what either of them thought capable in order to survive.
The Strangers has a couple of scares, but it's not anywhere near as frightening as advertised. The creepy folks of the title are more fumbling than fiendish.
– Claudia Puig,
USA Today,
18 Oct 2008
rotten:
This suspense film by first-time writer-director Bryan Bertino initially squeezes some surprisingly effective scares out of familiar elements. Sadly, the scenario quickly becomes attenuated and unbelievable.
– Nigel Floyd,
Time Out,
29 Aug 2008
rotten:
At least it's short.
– Amy Biancolli,
Houston Chronicle,
18 Jul 2008
rotten:
A sadistic, unmotivated home-invasion flick.
– Bob Mondello,
NPR.org,
2 Jun 2008
rotten:
Kind of like what The Shining might be if you took out the ESP. And the ghosts. And the chilling atmosphere. So call it The Sucking.