Despite its initial trailers’ terrifying promise, The Strangers: Chapter 1 fails to deliver on its potential. The film’s over-reliance on the original Strangers’ plot and structure renders it a frustratingly familiar experience, and its attempts to differentiate itself (such as a more flashy and less artful aesthetic) ultimately fall flat. While Madelaine Petsch gives an impressively committed, unrestrained performance as Maya, the film’s stiff supporting performance and overly convoluted first act drag it down. The Strangers: Chapter 1 adds so little to the franchise that one is left confused why it was even made in the first place. It’s a disappointing follow-up that is unlikely to generate excitement for its already shot sequels.
The Strangers: Chapter 1: A Frustratingly Familiar Horror Disappointment
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