My Thoughts on The Strangers: Chapter 2
It's fair to say the first chapter of this new Strangers trilogy, The Strangers: Chapter 1 didn’t exactly blow me away, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect this time around.
And while this new installment also didn't really blow me away, it is a film that felt much more confident in its own skin and a little bit smarter, as it throws you straight into the aftermath of the attack, where you're constantly questioning who to trust if you were in Maya's shoes.
Madelaine Petsch is, without a doubt, the anchor of this movie. I thought her performance was the best part. She moves through fear, exhaustion, and grief, constantly on edge, and Petsch does more than react to terror, as she embodies it.
There were quite a few moments where her decisions are irritating though, and some of the choices she makes feel very reckless, but you're also aware that her paranoia is part of what defines her, as horror movies often want you to blindly cheer for the survivor, but here, you are left thinking, weighing her options, and second-guessing her actions and asking what you would do in that situation and state.
The supporting cast also play their roles in ways that leave you unsure whether they’re truly helpful or another threat, and it keeps you second-guessing every interaction, which is exactly the kind of tension you want in a horror film.
One thing I did really notice was how much broader the film’s geography feels compared to the first chapter, as the first one leaned heavily on a single location, which created claustrophobia but also made the story feel small.
Here though, the filmmakers explore the town in a way that feels deliberate, with each place carrying its own sense of danger, and I did like how every setting added to the story without feeling like just a change of scenery.
There’s a sequence in particular with a mix of practical effects and subtle CGI that caught me completely off guard which I didn’t expect, and I have to admit it made me flinch more than once.
I also have mixed feelings about the expansion of the strangers backstory, and while I was intrigued by the hints at who they might be and why they do what they do, part of me missed the pure, anonymous menace of previous entries.
There’s a tension in not knowing anything about your killers, but I understand why the filmmakers took this path, as it gives the trilogy its own identity and opens up possibilities for the story moving forward.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 is far from perfect, but it feels more purposeful and ambitious than its predecessor, and unlike the first film, the actors have more to work, and in turn you are a bit more invested as the viewer.
I wouldn’t say this film reinvents the series or anything, but at least it didn't feel like a cash grab like the first film, and was a little bit bolder and confident in its own ideas, which is something.
Don't expect too much with The Strangers: Chapter 2, but it's better than the first at least.