The Strangers: Chapter 2

The film opens with strong suspense that pulls you in quickly, and the atmosphere stays tense throughout. Madelaine's character is easily the standout, bringing depth and emotion that the story sometimes struggles to provide. The pacing, however, slows down in the middle and leans too much on predictable jump scares, which may divide viewers. Still, it feels like a step up from the first chapter and shows potential for where the series could go next.

Honestly, I found this more enjoyable than the first one. The tension and suspense worked really well, and that long take in the hospital was just fantastic. What I loved most is that they finally gave the killer some backstory! You can feel the film pushing to become a franchise and I'm here for it.

Truly an abysmal film, full of logic holes, the worst CGI animals since either CGI or animals themselves were invented. The script plods along, somehow managing to be all-chase and all-dull at the same time, a feat never before achieved in cinematic history. The backstory elements are nonsensical and simply diminish (again) the original 2008 movie. Renny Harlin was a talented director but this goes to show there's only so much a once-talented creator can do when hamstrung by a stupid script and a flimsy excuse to flog a dead horse yet again for money. This is a cynical and joyless slog of a film that I would advise people to avoid.

LIKES: The Lead Actress A Few Answers Some Creative Escapes Short Run Time Interesting Filters/Cinematography Sound Editing/Creepy Music Summary: The movie does address one of the (supposed) complaints of the last one in that it provides some answers to why the killers are hunting. Chapter 2 reveals a few of the faces behind the masks, giving us a glimpse into the minds of two of the hunters as to what motivates them to be the imposing figures they have become. And helping to progress the present-day story is Maya, played by Madelaine Petsch, who does a lot with such a limited role. The fiery redhead captures the spirit of a victim well, portraying fear, trauma, bravado, and anger as she traipses through the woods. I was amazed by the physical acting, doing a nice job of walking through the woods as her injuries from the last movie take their toll. Taking much of the movie's acting on herself, she was very dynamic, and I was happy she agreed to take this series on, because she continues to be a strong aspect, and perhaps the main reason I'm keeping with the film.

Outside of that, the movie's visual elements work to establish the same desolate, meek, and dire circumstances that Maya is still in the middle of. The grey filters work to add that isolation, hope loosely filtering in the dense trees as it offers limited safety to the madness of the masked marauders. Heavy rain effects are authentic, an imposing first act to the second chapter that offers plenty of seclusion to the potential jump scares, and adds a foreboding element she has to fight off. I'll also give Harlin points in directing, finding some dynamic shots of the action to help immerse us in the intense moments, especially in finding some clever ways for our leading lady to escape. Accompanying the visuals is a good bunch of sound editing, nothing spectacularly unique, but still giving you that harrowing collection of sound staples that are associated with horror movies. Some creepy music also finds a place in the film, again, nothing very original, but it uses the token music to a nice degree. And if none of that is up your alley, then take solace that this movie is about 80-85 minutes long, so you'll get out of it relatively quickly.

DISLIKES: Limited Story Predictable Lacking Scare Animal Cruelty Simple Kills Horrible Character Usage Not Its Own Movie Another Chapter Coming Summary Unfortunately, the movie still has a lot of work to catch up to the cult classics we know in the Horror genre. The story is expanded upon, but it's not by much, and what we are given is not the most mind-blowing revelations at all. In fact, if I glean what I have, the story feels very cliché and underwhelming, leading to a predictable course I only hope will not be the case. That predictability diluted the scares, and the mystery is weakened by just as much with the obvious clues that they leave behind for us to follow. And when both of those key elements are gone, so goes some of the edge of the movie. Other factors that I did not enjoy were the simple kills, Strangers again choosing to do most of the dirty work off-screen, or in the most mundane element possible. While I like not being too over-theatrical (e.g., cheesy, ridiculous kills best left in a video game), the realistic elements could have used more planning and strategy than a simple arrow emerging through a body part. I felt disconnected with so many other characters, most of them practically pointless to introduce, and such bland involvement of these other characters cheapened a lot of the spectacle to again a very bland kill-fest. The movie also showed off animal cruelty, some of which was highly unnecessary, and the level of detail I had to handle was not my cup of tea, no matter how relevant it seemed. Something else I didn't like was how much this movie relies on the previous movie; so many elements are tied to the first film, which you need to rewatch for a refresher, and this film feels very much a lead-up to the next film, leaving very little time for the film to stand on its own. That focus on building up to yet another chapter makes this film feel even more wasted for a viewer like me.

The VERDICT: The second installment in the Strangers saga isn't the worst thing I have seen, but the film has a lot more work to achieve the legendary status of a horror masterpiece. While I applaud some of the camera choices, sound effects, and ingenuity in escaping, the movie's primary strength is the lead actress and her phenomenal work with both verbal and non-verbal acting. Outside of that, the movie's second chapter feels very limited, a film that is too reliant on the first and third chapters to shine on its own. Character utilization is weak and rushed, with too much happening off-screen or to people we barely know. The few grains of story salt are minimal, with very little surprise or unique flavor to make the wait feel worthwhile. And the scares and mystery failed to impress me, nor are some of the story elements they are pursuing when they pull my pet peeve to the forefront. I suggest this one be seen at home, perhaps on Shudder, and wait for some other heavy hitters to arrive in October. My scores for this film are: Horror/Mystery/Slasher: 5.5 Movie Overall: 4.5.

I have absoutely no idea what the director was thinking when making this film. It takes everything that made the original strangers and even the "part 1" film terrifying and engaging and stripped it completely.

The concept of having killers with little or no motivation for their actions is scary in itself and didn't need to change, so why on earth is half of this film showing me one of the killers flashbacks as a little girl and where her violent motivations came from.. Then theres the plot or should i say lack of. There is only so many times you can watch a character hide, run, fight and repeat before it comes repetitive and loses any hope of being thrilling I'm on board with upping the ante for the sequel and that comes with a much upgraded body count that the first but this only creates more problems. Are there only two police in this town? Does no one apart from one unfortunate cleaner work in this town hospital? Can any character introduced survive longer than five minutes before being killed off with no consequence to this action?

Then theres the infamous animal scene. I'm all up for introducing a new element to the thrills but laughable CGI and no explanation at all for its purpose just makes it (again) pointless.

Contender for one of the worst films of the year and as much as madaline puts herself through the wars and attempts to make the most out of a lacklustre script, she cannot save the plot holes, lack of horror and utter nonsense that the majority of this film is.