“The Strangers – Chapter 2” follows Maya, who finds herself in another brutal fight for survival after three masked killers return to finish the job.
A Sequel That Trades Safety for Chaos
I am one of the few who found some enjoyment in “The Strangers: Chapter 1.” It paid homage to the original film and, while certainly redundant, managed to entertain. Still, there’s no doubt it played things safe.
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” is anything but safe. Director Renny Harlin pushes the masked killers into new territory, tracking down the prey that got away while also trying to layer in lore. It’s at times fast-paced and at others turns into a boar fest (no, that’s not a typo).
The film opens in disastrous fashion, with a collection of sequences that don’t fit together. By attempting to remind audiences of what happened before, it momentarily loses its own identity. But about 15 minutes in, “The Strangers – Chapter 2” snaps back into focus – and that’s when the fun begins.
Fresh Tension, Stronger Set Pieces
The next 45 minutes become an exhilarating ride. This is where the trilogy finally starts to come into its own, taking the story in an entirely new direction.
In a cat-and-mouse chase, the film flourishes through silence. Rather than being loud and bombastic, “The Strangers – Chapter 2” takes a quieter approach to its most intense moments. Immersive camerawork, tighter editing and creative settings make the chase all the more gripping.
If you come for the Strangers, you get plenty of them. Just like the first installment, the movie doesn’t hold back on showing these characters. Utilizing POV shots or maintaining focus on the killers themselves, “The Strangers – Chapter 2” at times makes them the stars of the story. This sharper focus on the killers turns them into urban legends, giving the franchise a larger-than-life feel.
This doesn’t mean the film loses sight of its lead, though. Once again, Madelaine Petsch (Maya) carries the movie. Full of wounds and grit, she plays the “final girl” role to near perfection. From start to finish, Petsch’s bad-assery is on full display.
A Promising But Incomplete Middle Chapter
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” sets up an abundance of intriguing pieces. Creating a world full of conspiracies and secrets, the film succeeds at keeping you on edge. Yet as the credits roll, almost all of the most interestingly posed questions are left unanswered. The film feels unfinished – not by accident but by design – and that results in a frustrating experience.
It has the steam for an hour of gnarly fun, not the 96-minute runtime it actually possesses. This begs the question of whether this story deserved three chapters or could have been fit into one. Right now, the answer leans toward no.
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” also tries to expand on the killers’ lore. In this, it mostly fails. With flashbacks littered throughout the film, these scenes detract more often than not. What once made this franchise so unsettling (not knowing why the killers act) is eroded by backstory. You don’t always need a motive, and the movie loses some of its mystique by exploring the characters’ pasts.
“The Strangers – Chapter 2” takes the franchise in an entirely new direction – for better or worse. It’s full of creative ideas but ultimately feels incomplete. Solid performances and creative camerawork keep it afloat, lifting it just above a middling middle chapter.
Rating: 3 out of 5
