Strangers: Prey at Night

Let me be clear I HATED The Strangers (2008) and certainly didn't expect them to make a sequel a full decade later.

I'm not entirely sure what it was about the first movie, but it just came across as entirely one sided devoid of purpose and basically plot torture porn and that did nothing for me.

This time around we see a family set up camp in a trailer park only to come under siege by the same three masked psychotics. Among them the stunning Christina Hendricks and former child star Bailee Madison.

Thankfully what we're presented with isn't so one sided and does have a plot. Sure the plot is the time honored generic slasher one but it's a plot all the same.

So what does it have going for it? Well for a start the soundtrack is great as is the score. It fits the movie perfectly and is refreshingly retro. Ontop of that we have some great cinematography, the movie certainly has style.

So it looks great, it sounds great and we have Hendricks on board. So what went wrong? Well other than it being generic, Hendricks isn't the big character you'd imagine so forget about her being the leading lady. To make matters worse it falls into many of the standard slasher pitfalls so we've seen the majority of it before.

This is a vast improvement over the first movie, but it's still just another slasher.

The Good:

Christina Hendricks

A few decent shots

Fitting soundtrack

The Bad:

Christina Hendricks is wasted

Generic stuff

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who awkwardly laughs when in pain

If they keep up with the improvements they might have an average movie eventually

The music is the best part of the movie. I loved the 80s themed soundtrack, especially during the pool scene. The movie slowly ramps up tension and when it hits full bore it never stops. Its relenting. The characters do stupid things of course, but that's par for the course for these movies. In the end you do care enough to want them to survive . I admit the film doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but what it does bring it does really well. I'd recommend to fans of the slasher genre and of the original movie.

FILM: 5.5 As I settled in for my first watch of The Strangers: Prey at Night, I couldn't help but think of its predecessor, a nerve-wracking journey into terror that gripped audiences with its slow-burning intensity. With such a solid foundation, a sequel seemed inevitable, yet it took a decade to materialise-a delay that left me wondering if it would live up to expectations.

Unfortunately, my anticipation was met with disappointment. The film feels like a missed opportunity, failing to recapture the tension and suspense of the original. Instead, it relies on tired horror tropes, with characters devolving into predictable brainless stereotypes once the violence begins.

While Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson deliver solid performances, they're given little to work with, leaving their potential untapped. Bailee Madison, who receives the most screen time, sees her character's development squandered as the story progresses. However, Lewis Pullman injects some much-needed vitality into his role, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the mediocrity.

The recasting of the psychopaths neither enhances nor detracts from the film, leaving their performances largely forgettable. Additionally, the decision to adopt an 80s aesthetic feels misplaced, especially considering the lack of a period setting. Had the filmmakers fully committed to this theme, ditching modern technology and amplifying the era's cultural elements, it might have provided a fresh angle to an otherwise uninspired narrative.

Overall, The Strangers: Prey at Night falls short of its predecessor's success, delivering a middling horror experience that fails to leave a lasting impression. While it may offer some fleeting moments of tension, they're overshadowed by its inability to break free from genre clichés.

FORMAT: Blu-ray

VIDEO: 8.5 1080/24p presentation Detail level: Good Colour reproduction: Excellent Level accuracy: Good Encode: Excellent Master condition: Excellent

AUDIO: 9.5 DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio Dialogue reproduction: Excellent Soundtrack & effects clarity: Excellent Dynamics: Excellent Surround sound presentation: Good LFE content: Excellent

MOOFIEMETER: 5.0.

I'm a big fan of the first Strangers, I always thought that was a the scariest home invasion film out there, and didn't think it needed a sequel, I was afraid they'd ruin it in some way, but after checking this Strangers 2 out multiple time, I might enjoy this one more. I appreciated the approach they took with this one. It's fast paced and most slasheristic. They told their story with the first movie, so now they got that out of they way it gives room for a fast paced balls out movie and that's what they did here. We get a good back & fourh between the killers and the family they go after and the ending was my favorite actually. There were times where it felt they took ideas from other horror movies but it's okay cuz it fit and kept the movie going. I never thought I'd say this but I want a Strangers 3 Now Damnit!

Definitely worth a watch. The direction, the soundtrack, the dread and twists all make this a very thrilling watch underrated for sure!