The Strangers (2008 film)

The Strangers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBryan Bertino
Written byBryan Bertino
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Sova
Edited byKevin Greutert
Music byTomandandy
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures[1]
Release date
  • May 30, 2008 (2008-05-30)
Running time
85 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$9 million[3]
Box office$82.4 million[3]

The Strangers is a 2008 American psychological horror film[4] written and directed by Bryan Bertino. The film follows a couple (portrayed by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) whose stay at a vacation home is disrupted by three masked intruders (portrayed by Kip Weeks, Gemma Ward, and Laura Margolis) who infiltrate the home one night. It is the first installment in The Strangers film series. The screenplay was inspired by two real-life events: the multiple-homicide Manson family Tate murders and a series of break-ins that occurred in Bertino's neighborhood as a child. Some journalists noted similarities between the film and the Keddie cabin murders that occurred in Keddie, California, in 1981, though Bertino did not cite this as a reference.

Made on a budget of $9 million, the film was shot on location in rural South Carolina in the fall of 2006. Originally slated for a theatrical release in November 2007, it was postponed before a theatrical release on May 30, 2008. The film became a sleeper hit, grossing $82 million at the box office worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its atmosphere and tension, and others criticizing its script and characters.

In the years since its release, it has become a cult film.[5][6][7] A sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night, was released in March 2018, followed by a standalone sequel trilogy of Strangers films, with the first, subtitled Chapter 1, released in May 2024.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "The Strangers (2008)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "THE STRANGERS (15)". British Board of Film Classification. March 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Tinoco, Armando (October 15, 2023). "'The Strangers Trilogy' Director Renny Harlin Teases The Beginning Of The "Strangers Universe" With Next Three Films". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Iaboni, Randi (March 8, 2018). "Why 'The Strangers' Is Still Terrifying 10 Years Later". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (March 7, 2018). "'The Strangers: Prey at Night': An homage to cheese-ball horror falls victim to laziness". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. ^ Lewis, Grant (February 23, 2013). "6 Scary Great Needle Drops". Fangoria. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
  8. ^ "'The Strangers 3' – Renny Harlin to Direct". IsTamaraHome.net. August 10, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.