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living room either. A friend of James arrives to pick him up, but doesn't stay around for long enough to create a reaction. Then there are two Mormon boys who come upon the scene at the end of the film. Because of this lack of characters, the emphasis really is on Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.

Aside from Kristen's reaction to the intruders, I did think the atmosphere was well built up in the film. It was one of those films that I have to almost force myself to watch, most of the time not because of what was actually happening, but because of what could be about to happen. I think the fact that the intruders were wearing masks added to the atmosphere as well, just because not being able to see their faces made the pointlessness of what they were doing even more pronounced. The music backs up this atmosphere very well - lots of dischordant sound, which jangles on the nerves without being overly intrusive.

On top of the atmosphere, there is a fair amount of blood and gore, although perhaps not as much as in many horrors I've seen. The special effects are great, especially a face that has been blown away. The 15 rating is probably about right, but anyone that is sensitive to being frightened, whether old or young, will probably want to keep away. I must admit I went and checked my back door was locked after seeing this and I'm usually very level-headed about such things.

I've read quite a lot of criticism of the ending, and, to an extent, I can understand why, because the viewer is left with a number of questions. I actually didn't mind this at all - I like a film that keeps me guessing, and I suspect that the story was left open for a possible sequel. However, there is something said at the beginning that makes the ending seem rather questionable - and clearly a lot of people agree, because the issue is raised on imdb.com. I can't say that it ruined the film for me in any way though; it simply provided me with a lot of food for thought. If, however, you like your films to make sense and be neatly tied up, you will probably find this deeply annoying.

On the whole, I thought this was an okay film. Had I seen it before Them (Ils in French), which is a very similar storyline, I would probably have thought it was a lot better. However, Them just about has the edge for me - certainly I found the main actress in that film more convincing than Liv Tyler, and if I had to choose between watching either of them again, Them would win. Having said that, if there is a sequel to The Strangers (according to wikipedia.org, there will be one), I will definitely watch it. Recommended, if you like scary films, but I think Them is better.

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