by MC Williams

Created on: June 05, 2008

The Strangers has been a highly anticipated thriller/horror film for the summer of '08. I have noticed a few growing trends in Hollywood that the people being terrorized aren't always in love or even like one another. So you may ask yourself, why should I care that two people that want to kill one another get killed by strangers (cute got the title in there)? The second trend I have noticed is billing movies as based on true events', it's exhausting and annoying when there is maybe a sliver of fact. The Strangers is not true, and the only 'true story' people have been able to think of to link this movie to is, Cabin 28'. Cabin 28, let's examine that story. The facts of Cabin 28; one mother, one son, one sons friend all three bound, stabbed and hammered to death. Three small children lay asleep in rear of cabin untouched while others are slaughtered. One child kidnapped and mutilated, body found 3-4 years later. One child walked in and found this scene (of her family) after having slept 15 feet away in neighboring cabin, cabin 28 was not isolated. No one heard these three people being killed. Those are the facts of Cabin 28, oh and it's an actual cabin. The Strangers is about two people, a fighting and bitter couple that is terrorized by three adult strangers. I don't see the similarities and the only sliver of fact is the adult female, not much in my eyes. So, now that that is out of our way, lets just examine this for what it is a thriller of a movie. I liked this movie, a lot actually, I liked the tense feeling in my chest and the creepy people appearing behind them and the way they just stood there unmoved behind their masks. I felt the eerie tone they tried to project and it impressed me. I didn't like being manipulated into thinking it was true to get me to watch it but I got past that the longer I watched the movie. Liv Tyler I believe will go down in Hollywood history as one of the most versatile actresses. Watch her in One Night at McCool's, LOTR trilogy, Inventing the Abbots and now The Strangers and you will see how versatile she is or has become over the years. Either way you look at her she is impressive and we will be seeing a lot from her still. Scott Speedman, until Underworld, I thought he was always going to be known as that guy from Felicity, one of the Scott's.' Speedman is coming out of that shy college guy' into an adult man, most viewers I think will be impressed by him in this movie. Put the hype about this being a true story and sit back and enjoy Bryan Bertino's debut film (director/writer). The Strangers is the type of movie that lives up to the trailers, you will jump, cringe, close your eyes and your nerves will be rattled throughout. Ignore the truth factor and just enjoy this for the tense movie it is. The Strangers delivers us the best thriller of '08 so far.

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