The Strangers: Chapter 2 – Movie Review (2/5)

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 is a slasher sequel, and in the second movie of this new franchise trilogy, they’re doing something strange: We are now being treated to a backstory of the strangers. Essentially, now making them known to us and thus no longer strangers. It’s… strange. Read our full The Strangers: Chapter 2 movie review!

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 is the second movie in the latest trilogy of The Strangers slasher franchise. As someone who still names the original 2008 The Strangers as one of the horror movies that hit me the hardest, it’s sad to see what the franchise has been turned into.

I much preferred The Strangers: Prey at Night stand-alone movie, which wasn’t amazing, but certainly a much more complete experience than this new trilogy. This trilogy does have one thing going for it, and that’s the proverbial final girl played by Madelaine Petsch. I think she does a great job and delivers all I want from my final girl… the story just isn’t nearly as good.

Continue reading our The Strangers: Chapter 2 movie review below. Find it on VOD now – the third and final movie is also out, and we will be back with a review for that as well. I just need a break before I watch it.

Don’t blame the cast

I do want to preface the rest of this The Strangers: Chapter 2 movie review by saying that I don’t blame the actors for anything. As already mentioned, I feel Madelaine Petsch delivers exactly what the character needs. The things I don’t like have much more to do with the story of this new trilogy.

And, sadly, there is a huge issue with the story. Or lack thereof, really. Instead of the latest Halloween trilogy (which wasn’t without its own issues), this trilogy feels like three episodes in a limited series. Sure, the runtimes make them feature films, but it doesn’t really work too well. Or, actually, it doesn’t work. Full stop.

Now, in the second movie of The Strangers trilogy, we’re getting to know the strangers. Yes, the one thing that made this slasher concept terrifying – that we don’t know the villains, and that victims are chosen at random – is now being taken away. As if we somehow need to relate to the killers?!

Well, I don’t… and I have no interest in it. You took a perfectly good slasher franchise and ruined it!

Meet the Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 2 initially focuses on the sole survivor of Chapter 1, Maya (Madelaine Petsch), who is still chased by the strangers. These masked killers continue their relentless attacks and will kill anyone who gets in their way. In that sense, it isn’t personal… except for how they are chasing this one young woman, which certainly does make it very personal for her.

However, in this second chapter, we also get some backstory on the masked killers. Yes, they are getting unmasked, and as we get to know them, they are also no longer strangers. Not to us as viewers anyway, and to Maya, I doubt their names and backstories matter much.

They want to make her suffer before they kill her, so everything else is pretty irrelevant to her. It’s a very strange decision that I don’t really get. Well, except for how everyone needs to have everything explained to them at all times. Whether as a conspiracy or through facts, people want to have an explanation.

Well, now The Strangers franchise is delivering on that… on no one seems very happy. Including this horror fan!

Watch The Strangers: Chapter 2 on VOD now

The director of The Strangers: Chapter 2 is Renny Harlin, who also directed Chapter 1 and the 2026 release Chapter 3, which is the conclusion to a trilogy that most had given up on after the first movie. Again, I have to mention the new Halloween trilogy, because as much as some people didn’t love it, they could at least enjoy it.

As a result, all three new Halloween movies have IMDb ratings of 5 or more (none of the three in The Strangers trilogy do).

For the record, I should state that Renny Harlin is “just” the director, not the writer, of this new trilogy. The screenplay comes from writers Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland. Of course, credit is also still given to Bryan Bertino, as it’s based on the characters he created. Meanwhile, Bryan Bertino himself has moved on to other original stories, which I’m sad to say I haven’t enjoyed much either.

I want to honor my Nordic brother, the Finnish director Renny Harlin, but he needs to step up his game soon and make something good. Not just something that pays the bills. Anything to show the world, you still have the talent that made you the most successful Finnish film director ever.

I say this as someone who still cannot stop myself from watching the rest of The Long Kiss Goodnight if I come across it. And I have watched it many times.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 is out on Digital now.

Details

Directed by: Renny Harlin
Written by: Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland
Based on Characters Created by: Bryan Bertino
Cast: Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake, Brooke Johnson