The Strangers: Prey at Night

While 2008’s “The Strangers” evoked a sense of dread and fear that made it feel as though this could happen to anyone anywhere, “The Strangers: Prey at Night” felt much more extravagant and didn’t really capture the dread of the original. Nevertheless, I still had enjoyable experience, though a flawed one nonetheless.

The film centers on a family of four, consisting of siblings Cindy (Christina Hendricks) and Luke (Lewis Pullman) and their parents Mike (Martin Henderson) and Kinsey (Bailee Madison) as they decide to take a vacation at a trailer park. However, when three mysterious individuals beginning stalking and attacking them, they must work together to survive the night.

The film is clearly targeted to those who are big fans of the original. It either feels like a love letter to them or it was created by those who wanted to honor show their love for the original. In many respects, that’s admirable. However, it can only take you so far, and as a cinematic motion picture, it doesn’t necessarily work as a whole, but it has its moments.

The quality that sticks out the most as a positive is the use of the lighting and camera to capture an effective setting and tone. With stark colors, dim lighting, and effective movement of the camera, the filmmakers evoke a a sufficient atmosphere that’s ominous, eerie, and sinister. Whether it’s the barely visible outline of one of the villains in the background, a pickup truck driving in the background, or an incredibly effective use of the zoom in a scene involving a pool, it’s clear that most of the praise should be directed to the cinematographer.

I also really enjoyed the way the villains were handled as, much like the previous film, they are both mysterious and terrifying all in one. You know nothing about them and yet the manners in which they attack and stalk the family can be chilling.

However, that’s about where the praise ends because the rest of the film falls short of solid horror. The greatest hindrances of the film are the characters and the story. The story relies heavily on tired horror tropes and clichés. Because of this, the story never fully fleshes out the characters and, for the most part, other than Christina Hendricks’ character, they feel more like target practice rather than real characters.

Hendricks seems to be the only one trying and does give an admirable performance, but the writing placed on her and the rest of the characters make them feel like cardboard cut-outs of every other cliché horror teenager. Whether it’s walking into dark areas of the park or leaving their phones behind, the choices they make are so ludicrous and insanely idiotic that I questioned how they were still alive.

Overall, “The Strangers: Prey at Night” is clearly directed at fans of the original 2008 film, and there’s certainly stuff to like about the film. However, if you’re just an average moviegoer or a light fan of the original, much like myself, I doubt you’ll leave the movie theater without getting at least a little frustrated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91-Z20uttEk&t=1s&w=585