The Strangers: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 are a true trilogy, as all three ‘chapters’ could well have been made into a five-hour film (or perhaps a five-part mini-series) and follow each other perfectly in terms of plot, characters and storyline. Spoiler alerts here for anyone who hasn’t seen the previous chapters. so if you want my opinion, only read about what you’ve already seen!
I launched into this not knowing anything about the background, nor that I should have probably watched the 2008 film first, nor even that this was the first of a trilogy. Must pay more attention! Reviews generally slate this film, but I actually thought it was OK. It was quite suspenseful, getting into the heads of the victims during what appears to be mindless terrorism by three masked intruders.
The story follows two chirpy, happy-go-lucky young adults, very much in love, heading off on holiday. They stop in a rural town for lunch and, while they’re eating, some local loons sabotage their car. They can’t prove it, of course, but are practically forced into taking up another local’s offer of an Airbnb nearby while the car is fixed. It is in the middle of the woods. Isolated. Alone. Dark.
During the night, the three hoods go about their onslaught. There isn't actually a huge amount of violence shown - most of it is perceived - and the tension and suspense are handled well. The two leads, especially the girl, were very convincing - not for one minute did it look like their tongues were in their cheeks! Madelaine Petsch plays Maya and Froy Gutierrez, Ryan.
It’s all very dark and menacing but ultimately quite mindless, with no real motive given for the carnage. It’s worth hanging about for the credits, incidentally, because there’s a fair bit in them - even when you think they've finished! I enjoyed it, but it seems I’m alone in that.
The story picks up immediately after the events of the first film, with Maya in hospital in the town of Venus, recovering from the attack that killed Ryan. However, she is far from safe. The three masked killers - Dollface, Pin-Up Girl and Scarecrow - discover that she survived and begin a relentless hunt to finish the job!
Most of the film is a high-stakes chase sequence as Maya flees the hospital into the surrounding woods and town. Along the way, she encounters various townspeople (including a hostile man named Gregory and a group of residents who take her in), adventures and challenges!
Maya is consumed by paranoia, unsure who to trust, as the movie implies the entire town of Venus might be in on something, including the two cops. The mystery of the first film is exposed here as we start to learn the background of Pin-Up Girl, revealed to be Shelly, the waitress from the diner in Chapter 1. Via flashbacks to childhood events, we learn why she behaves as she does and how Scarecrow fits in. Eventually, we also find out how the pair roped in Dollface to make up the trio of maniacs.
Shelly was a social outcast who bullied and eventually killed a classmate named Tamara by beating her with a rock. The phrase "Is Tamara home?", used as a precursor to violence when knocking on doors now, is revealed to be part of a game that Shelly and Scarecrow played as children. As expected, Maya fights back when they catch up with her and, in the end, ambushes Pin-Up Girl and kills her. Scarecrow is visibly distraught, confirming a deep, long-standing emotional connection between the two killers.
The film ends on a cliffhanger. Despite killing Pin-Up Girl, Maya is unsuccessful in escaping the town. She remains trapped and hunted by the remaining two killers, but in the teaser for the third film, we see her wearing the Pin-Up Girl mask! Has Maya snapped after the trauma? Or is she infiltrating the group to kill the remaining members from the inside? All will be revealed!
In the third instalment, we find out more about the origins of the killers and why they continue this cycle of violence. The film opens with a flashback to 2021, showing a woman named Claire arriving in Venus. She is checking into the local motel when she is targeted and brutally murdered, confirming that the town has been their hunting ground for years.
In the present, Maya is still in Venus, mourning Ryan and her narrow escape in Chapter 2. After killing Pin-Up Girl, Maya is eventually captured by Scarecrow and Dollface. They take her to an underground lair beneath a sawmill, where the film reveals the dark truth about the town’s dodgy background!
As it turns out, Scarecrow (Gregory) is the son of Sheriff Rotter. The Sheriff has been covering up his son's murders for years to protect the family name, on the condition that Gregory only kills outsiders. Dollface was a traveller who had already committed a murder when she met Gregory and Shelly. The three bonded over their shared psychotic tendencies and formed the trio.
While held captive, Gregory tattoos Maya with a "smiley face" - the signature of the Strangers - and forces her to wear the mask, intending for her to take Shelly's place. However, during a struggle at a motel where the killers are stalking new victims, Maya manages to stab Dollface with a machete and viciously wipes her out!
Maya eventually escapes and returns to the lair armed with Ryan’s old shotgun. She finds the Sheriff and Scarecrow there - the latter unmasks himself - not a huge surprise if you’ve been paying attention - and tries to convince Maya that they are now 'one and the same'. He wants her to be his new Pin-Up Girl! I'll leave the final outcome for you to enjoy, but you won't have to work too hard to guess how it ends!
Verdict
The trilogy is less of a horror and more of a 'terror' for me. While there is visible violence, the emphasis is on tension as the trio's victims are, yes, terrified. There's a long scene in the second film where Maya is being stalked through the hospital - the camera follows her in close-up through eerie silence. It might be the longest sequence in the trilogy and reminded me of the museum scene in The Last of Us (2023).
It’s all completely bonkers, of course, but it's a fun survival romp. The audience really gets behind Maya and wants her to come out on top. The main actors do a decent job, particularly Petsch, who is convincing throughout. The 'baddies' provide sinister, psychotic characters to enjoy and the cinematography is nicely executed. The direction is tight and doesn't let the audience sit back from the edge of their seats for a minute!
Again, the films are slated by most reviewers, but I don't really get the hate. I think they are great fun and well worth a watch. It certainly isn't Little House on the Prairie, but if they were after something dark, suspenseful and terrifying, and I think they were, they did a good job!
In the UK you can now get to all three films via various streaming services.
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