Directed by: Bryan BertinoStarring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman
It's been a long time since I've screamed in a theater. I've always found that the recent glut of torture porn films never really frightened me so much as simply grossed me out. I thought "Saw" was a brilliant concept that was poorly executed, and that "The Hills Have Eyes" was simply silly. I felt the same way about those inbred hicks as I feel about the prospect of putting my hands on raw meat. It's a little icky, but hardly something to get worked up over.
In terms of contemporary horror I'm more a disciple of the Japanese school of thought; that is, that there is nothing as terrifying as the moment before you see the monster. It's the calm before the storm, not the storm itself, that sends chills up your spine.
"The Strangers" could perhaps then be described as an amalgam of the American and Japanese philosophy of terror. Writer/Director Bryan Bertino took a very American plot line- the home invasion/middle class fear of rural America/slasher motif- and manipulated it, so that instead of feeling shocked, one feels a relentless sense of dread. Bertino understands the importance of silence, of anticipation. He knows that there is nothing he could put up on the screen that can compete with our own deep-seated fears. Instead of attacking the audience with gore and noise, he simply gives us a visual, and lets our natural fears do the work for us.
Let me give you an example, based on the audience I was with. When one of the masked intruders that terrorizes Kristen McKay and James Hoyt (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) first appears in the frame, there is no music. There is no clang of arrival. We, the audience, see Kristen looking out the window, and the masked man appears behind her. We don't even notice him at first, so intent are we on our Liv's lovely features. Then, unanimously, we the audience spot him, our stomachs sink, and we all emit a soft scream. He says nothing, and disappears into the shadows a moment later, but the horror of his presence lingers in the ensuing silence.
The three faceless people who torment our young lovers are most menacing in the fact that they appear to have no motive for their crimes. Their tempers are calm and unflappable. They are not madmen wielding chainsaws. And the only one we hear speak, known in the credits as "Dollface" (Gemma Ward), has a soft, girlish voice that still kind of creeps me out when I think about it.
In terms of contemporary horror I'm more a disciple of the Japanese school of thought; that is, that there is nothing as terrifying as the moment before you see the monster. It's the calm before the storm, not the storm itself, that sends chills up your spine.
"The Strangers" could perhaps then be described as an amalgam of the American and Japanese philosophy of terror. Writer/Director Bryan Bertino took a very American plot line- the home invasion/middle class fear of rural America/slasher motif- and manipulated it, so that instead of feeling shocked, one feels a relentless sense of dread. Bertino understands the importance of silence, of anticipation. He knows that there is nothing he could put up on the screen that can compete with our own deep-seated fears. Instead of attacking the audience with gore and noise, he simply gives us a visual, and lets our natural fears do the work for us.
Let me give you an example, based on the audience I was with. When one of the masked intruders that terrorizes Kristen McKay and James Hoyt (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) first appears in the frame, there is no music. There is no clang of arrival. We, the audience, see Kristen looking out the window, and the masked man appears behind her. We don't even notice him at first, so intent are we on our Liv's lovely features. Then, unanimously, we the audience spot him, our stomachs sink, and we all emit a soft scream. He says nothing, and disappears into the shadows a moment later, but the horror of his presence lingers in the ensuing silence.
The three faceless people who torment our young lovers are most menacing in the fact that they appear to have no motive for their crimes. Their tempers are calm and unflappable. They are not madmen wielding chainsaws. And the only one we hear speak, known in the credits as "Dollface" (Gemma Ward), has a soft, girlish voice that still kind of creeps me out when I think about it.
There's only one major disappointment in the film, which is the last five minutes or so. It involves two Christian boys on bikes and an end shocker that looks like it was tacked on after the producers held a focus group. Note to everyone making a horror film: focus group-approved endings are lame. Always. There's really no other way to say it. For those who haven't seen it yet, just trust me: walk out of the theater when the pick up truck drives away. You'll feel far more satisfied.
Photo courtesy of firstshowing.net
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