The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review

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Was the remake necessary?

"The Strangers: Chapter 1" is an almost beat for beat remake of the original 2008 "The Strangers" starring Liv Tyler. Leaving very little to the imagination - as this new re-telling diverts very little to the original, it's safe to say if you've seen the 2008 version you won't find much else here.

Starring Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez in the lead roles, they struggle to match the heights of the original leading actors - leaving a story that which we already know, removing the tension of the original film.

It's not all bad here, as if you haven't seen the original, you will enjoy some of the scares and creepy moments that "Chapter 1" has to offer. However in saying that, there is no reason not to just watch the superior 2008 version instead.

So why was it remade? This is the first in the set of a newly planned trilogy of Strangers movies, so we begin from the very start again. This would have been a great chance for the filmmakers to make some bigger story changes, or give us more insight into the killers - instead of repeating the story so exactly.

Or why not just make a direct sequel? Recasting any necessary characters over 15 years later would have been perfectly understandable.

As a poorer quality version of the film, with less chemistry, less scares, worse dialogue and performances - let's just hope the sequels to come in this trilogy have made the first one worth while.