The Strangers

“Is Tamara there?”

True stories are always more compelling and this is perhaps why ‘The Strangers’ had that more of an edge than other typical ‘slasher-type-horror films’. Winner of 2 awards and 8 nominations, this 2008 American horror/thriller was written and directed by Texan Bryan Bertino and it was well thought-out and executed as was the torment the young couple that endured it also. Beauty Liv Tyler and English actor Scott Speedman (whom you may remember from the Underworld movies) came together in this film to create a painstakingly yet addicting frightful production.

With an estimated budget of $10 million they were able to gross $52 million within the US alone and thanks to the jolting FBI statistics of violent crimes in America each year as well as the 911 call at the beginning, it set the mood throughout the film without specifically revealing what the audience could or should expect.

The film moves much slower than expected and it sets the viewers up to enquiries of why and how things like this could even occur. Despite it being about murder and senseless killings, this film turned out to be much more of a clean-cut psychological thriller. Between the remarkable agony expressed by our main actors and the jolting and eerie soundtrack, it’s enough to get your heart palpating and your thoughts horrendously altered by fear.

What is most un-settling is that throughout the entire film there is not one 'peep'; complaint, expression or motive from those that commit the crime.