This movie is the first one made by recently graduated Bryan Bertino. Yes, it’s his first movie ever.

Apparently his script made quite an impression on the Motion Picture Academy and he received a special grant. Then, the lucky filmmaker was given the opportunity to direct the movie. I mean, if you get this far, you are to think that it should be a great project.

Well, not really. It’s not that great and it’s not at all cliché- free. You wish for it not to be another scary movie, but it is another scary movie.

The movie's great quality, probably its only one, is the ability to make you jump out of your seat several times. And I should mention the actors as well, Liv Tyler playing the role of Kristen McKay and Scott Speedman playing James Hoyt. They actually did a good job with the characters, even if their main activity was to express fear and to scream while running around.

The story, which I’m pretty sure you’ve heard it before, is about a couple, Kristen and James, who is heading to the vacation home of James’ family, located, of course, deep into the dark, scary woods. They seem to take the trip in order to refresh or repair their relationship. Once they arrive at the house, they have to put on hold their one on one quality time, as three masked killers, including a woman, begin to hunt them down. I told you that you’ve heard the story before.

And now, some cliché details: the power outage, the phone’s dead battery, the chaotic running around and breaking all kind of breakable stuff, the tripping over inexistent obstacles when the killer is following the victims, the over the top screaming, which, by the way, I bet it left Tyler with a sore throat and, let’s not forget, the whole story.

Ok, let’s not be too hard on Bertino’s first, let’s hope not last, horror movie. We must admit it’s pretty hard nowadays, with all the cards about horror movies being played, to make something original.

I mean, seriously, you will never see a horror movie in which the killer with the sharp and bloody object stops to talk about Nietzsche while he’s chasing the victim or a victim which stops and fights the killer off. It’s in the horror movies' nature to be somewhat of a cliché.

And, let’s admit that, most of the viewers who watch horror movies are in it for the adrenaline buzz that comes with a scary scene. “The Strangers” has enough scenes of this kind even if it lasts only 90 minutes.

In fact the movie starts with a background voice saying that the movie is based on real events. It’s pretty effective, I must say.

Bertino did a good job with the scary part and a not so good job with the plot part. Also the ending of the movie could have been a little less disappointing, as it gives the impression that the director was in a hurry to end it.

All in all, the movie is not bad for a first start but there's always room for improvement.

The Strangers

Director: Bryan Bertino

Writer: Bryan Bertino

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman

Release date: 30 May 2008 (USA)