HOLLYWOOD—Sometimes you do not need a new entry into a franchise, especially the horror arena. Why? Sometimes you get movies that get worse with each entry. I’m referring to “The Strangers: Chapter 3” the last entry in the new trilogy that was launched back in 2024 courtesy of director Renny Harlin.
For those in the dark, Harlin directed the 1988 film “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master” and the 1999 thriller “Deep Blue Sea.” He knows how to craft a good movie, but this new trilogy from the 2008 flick “The Strangers” starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman ain’t it.
Why? As a spectator you simply don’t care. A common thread in all 3 films is our protagonist, Maya (Madelaine Petsch), who the viewer gets to follow for all 3 movies. Does Petsch does a feasible job as a screaming protagonist yes, but beyond her being scared, we don’t get much more depth from the character. That is no fault of Petsch, that is a weak script. The first film was a bore. I just have to be honest; it was, it got good right when the movie was about to end. Then you have that dreadful, and I mean dreadful, “Chapter 2” that was just pointless.
It was similar to the first, but the level of boredom was longer, and right when it starts to get good, guess what, the movie ends. Spoiler alert: Maya does at least take out one of the trio that has been stalking her. Now with this third entry, the meat and potatoes of WHY this trio have been murdering people is revealed. Here’s one problem: it is perhaps one of the weakest arguments I can think of.
I really should spoil the details for the viewer to prevent you from wasting your time, but if reading this review alone doesn’t halt you, I’m not sure what else I can do that will indeed stop you. This movie is a convoluted tale about a people in the town of Venus, Oregon, who all seem to know who the culprits are, but stay mum for reasons that make absolutely no sense at all. I did not care about a single person in this movie beyond Maya, and even my care for her was fleeting.
Yes, this is a horror movie so people indeed die, there is blood, but its not over the top, but you don’t care for any of those people. However, what all 3 movies in this latest trilogy lack compared to the 2008 classic is suspense. There isn’t a single drop of suspense in this movie if I begged for it. We have a vast majority of the kills, where you already know what is happening as soon as it starts, and the psychological warfare that Harlin attempts to deliver to the viewer, just never lands.
Even the ending, which attempts to present a ‘twist’ for the viewer doesn’t deliver the knockout punch the filmmakers had hoped for. It works, but you’re still left saying, “Okay, that was underwhelming to say the least.” It is a good thing, this is the last and final entry into “The Strangers” franchise, because if you’re like me, you sat through 3 boring films with not much going on that don’t even measure up to the suspense and thrills that the 2008 film delivered to audience.
Simply put, don’t waste your time with this one, you’re missing nothing and you are not getting anything fresh.
