The Strangers is a 2008 horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino. The film revolves around a young couple, James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler), who spend the night in their remote country house. The couple are terrorized by three masked assailants, who break into the house and damage all means of escape. Bertino based the plot on an event from his childhood, when a stranger knocked on his door and asked for someone who was not there; Bertino later found out that several empty homes in the neighborhood had been robbed.
The Strangers took place in Florence, South Carolina on a budget of $9,000,000. Filming began on October 10, 2006 and finished in early 2007. After two postponements, the film was eventually released on May 30, 2008 in North America. The film was marketed as being inspired by a "true story", and grossed $81.6 million at the box office worldwide. Critical reaction to the film was mixed, with the consensus that while the film provided a few scares, it offered little else to distinguish itself from other slasher films.
The film opens with two young boys distributing religious pamphlets, who stumble upon a secluded vacation house. A burnt car is parked in the driveway. Inside there is blood everywhere and signs of a struggle. Over this the boys are heard on the phone with a police receptionist who asks them what happened.
The previous night, James Hoyt (Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen McKay (Tyler) arrive at the vacation house owned by James' parents upon returning from a friend's wedding reception. It is shown through flashbacks that prior to their arrival James had proposed marriage to Kristen only to be rejected. Once James calls his best friend Mike to be picked up, he and Kristen feel that in the morning they will likely take some time apart. Later in the evening, a young blonde woman comes to their front door asking for a woman named "Tamara", her face hidden in the dark because she put off the outside light. They tell her she must have the wrong house and she leaves. After James goes for a drive to get Kristen a pack of cigarettes, several bizarre events occur: Mysterious noises are heard outside, a smoke alarm goes off, and the blonde girl comes back asking for the same person. Kristen, whose cell phone is dead, calls James from the landline as her cell phone charges. He reassures her that everything is fine, and suddenly the phone dies. Then finally a Man in a Mask is seen inside of the house watching Kristen from the back hallway. He soon leaves, making his presence known by closing a bedroom door down the hall. Kristen is then disturbed by a barrage of knocks on the door, while discovering that the smoke alarm has been moved and her cell phone is gone. Investigating a noise at the patio, she pulls back the curtain to find the Man in the Mask staring at her. She also sees the girl from before, known as Dollface and now wearing a mask, in the front doorway. Frightened, she retreats into her bedroom as they begin to pound on the doors and windows outside.
As the sounds stop, James returns but does not take her seriously. He goes out to the car, which is vandalized, to find his phone when he is then confronted by Dollface. After demanding her to "get the fuck out of here", he goes back in when he realizes that she is not alone.When James finds his phone (with its battery removed) inside, he decides that they must leave. When they try to leave in the car, they are cornered by a third masked stranger, called Pin Up Girl, who crashes into their car with a pickup truck. They are forced back inside where they find James' father's shotgun and prepare to make a run for it. They are interrupted when the Man in the Mask begins hacking through the door with an axe. James shoots at him but finds the man has dodged the round and fled. The couple then huddle up in a room corner and wait for help, James preparing to shoot whoever tries to come in. In the living room the strangers are heard, and they turn on a record player so the two cannot hear what is going on outside.
Nearby the house, James' best friend Mike arrives to pick up James. Stones are then thrown through his windshield. He proceeds to the house on foot and slowly walks through the house. The Man in the Mask follows behind him with an axe but disappears as Mike turns around and the music stops. Continuing further, Mike is soon shot and killed by James when he approaches the door. Having thought he was the Man in the Mask, James and Kristen are distraught. Outside they find the word "KILLER" written in blood, presumably Mike's. James decides to go outside alone to the barn to find his father's old radio to find help. He leaves Kristen alone and arrives at the barn to find Pin Up Girl already there. Before James is able to shoot her, he is ambushed by The Man in the Mask. Kristen waits in the house until she hears the Man in the Mask enter. She then tries to run away but sprains her ankle. She continues to crawl to the barn and gets into contact with somebody before Pin Up Girl smashes it. Kristen crawls back to the house, seeing Dollface and Pin Up Girl watch her. She finds that Mike's car has been set aflame.
Upon limping into the house, Kristen witnesses the power shutting off. The Man in the Mask enters but apparently doesn't notice her. She hides in a pantry and sees him again as he sits down at the dinner table for a moment before leaving. Dollface then appears and starts breaking through the pantry door before stopping abruptly and turning to the wedding ring on the table. Kristen confronts her, telling her that James will kill them. James is thrown through a window. Afterwards, The Man in the Mask enters with the shotgun. Once inside, he drags James to another location inside the house. Dollface whispers "You're gonna die." James urges Kristen to run, but she is cornered in the bedroom. The power comes on again and the door to the bedroom opens. When Kristen walks out she is grabbed and knocked out by the Man in the Mask, who proceeds to drag her into the living room. In the morning, James and Kristen are both tied up in the living room as the three strangers stand over them. Kristen asks "Why are you doing this to us?", to which Dollface responds plainly "Because you were home." James and Kristen, now without hope, they profess their love for each other. The strangers then remove their masks (though their faces are never seen) and stab them repeatedly.
Later, the strangers are seen driving down the road in their pickup truck. They stop upon seeing the two boys from the beginning on the road. Dollface goes to ask them for a pamphlet they are handing out. They ask if she is a sinner. After a pause, she replies "Sometimes." After she obtains one, the three leave in the truck, with Pin Up Girl stating to Dollface that "It'll be easier next time." (implying there will be a sequel) The scene from the beginning is shown again. The boys walk through the house and find the bodies of James, Kristen and Mike. When one of them reaches out to Kristen, she awakens and grabs his hand screaming in horror.
The previous night, James Hoyt (Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen McKay (Tyler) arrive at the vacation house owned by James' parents upon returning from a friend's wedding reception. It is shown through flashbacks that prior to their arrival James had proposed marriage to Kristen only to be rejected. Once James calls his best friend Mike to be picked up, he and Kristen feel that in the morning they will likely take some time apart. Later in the evening, a young blonde woman comes to their front door asking for a woman named "Tamara", her face hidden in the dark because she put off the outside light. They tell her she must have the wrong house and she leaves. After James goes for a drive to get Kristen a pack of cigarettes, several bizarre events occur: Mysterious noises are heard outside, a smoke alarm goes off, and the blonde girl comes back asking for the same person. Kristen, whose cell phone is dead, calls James from the landline as her cell phone charges. He reassures her that everything is fine, and suddenly the phone dies. Then finally a Man in a Mask is seen inside of the house watching Kristen from the back hallway. He soon leaves, making his presence known by closing a bedroom door down the hall. Kristen is then disturbed by a barrage of knocks on the door, while discovering that the smoke alarm has been moved and her cell phone is gone. Investigating a noise at the patio, she pulls back the curtain to find the Man in the Mask staring at her. She also sees the girl from before, known as Dollface and now wearing a mask, in the front doorway. Frightened, she retreats into her bedroom as they begin to pound on the doors and windows outside.
As the sounds stop, James returns but does not take her seriously. He goes out to the car, which is vandalized, to find his phone when he is then confronted by Dollface. After demanding her to "get the fuck out of here", he goes back in when he realizes that she is not alone.When James finds his phone (with its battery removed) inside, he decides that they must leave. When they try to leave in the car, they are cornered by a third masked stranger, called Pin Up Girl, who crashes into their car with a pickup truck. They are forced back inside where they find James' father's shotgun and prepare to make a run for it. They are interrupted when the Man in the Mask begins hacking through the door with an axe. James shoots at him but finds the man has dodged the round and fled. The couple then huddle up in a room corner and wait for help, James preparing to shoot whoever tries to come in. In the living room the strangers are heard, and they turn on a record player so the two cannot hear what is going on outside.
Nearby the house, James' best friend Mike arrives to pick up James. Stones are then thrown through his windshield. He proceeds to the house on foot and slowly walks through the house. The Man in the Mask follows behind him with an axe but disappears as Mike turns around and the music stops. Continuing further, Mike is soon shot and killed by James when he approaches the door. Having thought he was the Man in the Mask, James and Kristen are distraught. Outside they find the word "KILLER" written in blood, presumably Mike's. James decides to go outside alone to the barn to find his father's old radio to find help. He leaves Kristen alone and arrives at the barn to find Pin Up Girl already there. Before James is able to shoot her, he is ambushed by The Man in the Mask. Kristen waits in the house until she hears the Man in the Mask enter. She then tries to run away but sprains her ankle. She continues to crawl to the barn and gets into contact with somebody before Pin Up Girl smashes it. Kristen crawls back to the house, seeing Dollface and Pin Up Girl watch her. She finds that Mike's car has been set aflame.
Upon limping into the house, Kristen witnesses the power shutting off. The Man in the Mask enters but apparently doesn't notice her. She hides in a pantry and sees him again as he sits down at the dinner table for a moment before leaving. Dollface then appears and starts breaking through the pantry door before stopping abruptly and turning to the wedding ring on the table. Kristen confronts her, telling her that James will kill them. James is thrown through a window. Afterwards, The Man in the Mask enters with the shotgun. Once inside, he drags James to another location inside the house. Dollface whispers "You're gonna die." James urges Kristen to run, but she is cornered in the bedroom. The power comes on again and the door to the bedroom opens. When Kristen walks out she is grabbed and knocked out by the Man in the Mask, who proceeds to drag her into the living room. In the morning, James and Kristen are both tied up in the living room as the three strangers stand over them. Kristen asks "Why are you doing this to us?", to which Dollface responds plainly "Because you were home." James and Kristen, now without hope, they profess their love for each other. The strangers then remove their masks (though their faces are never seen) and stab them repeatedly.
Later, the strangers are seen driving down the road in their pickup truck. They stop upon seeing the two boys from the beginning on the road. Dollface goes to ask them for a pamphlet they are handing out. They ask if she is a sinner. After a pause, she replies "Sometimes." After she obtains one, the three leave in the truck, with Pin Up Girl stating to Dollface that "It'll be easier next time." (implying there will be a sequel) The scene from the beginning is shown again. The boys walk through the house and find the bodies of James, Kristen and Mike. When one of them reaches out to Kristen, she awakens and grabs his hand screaming in horror.
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