The Strangers franchise continues its run with the release of The Strangers: Chapter Two. Spanning nearly 20 years, this franchise, loosely inspired by a true story, sees a group of strangers targeting different groups of people. Ranging from couples to entire families, the four films showcase how evil doesn’t only stem from something otherworldly, but can stem from one’s own need for self-satisfaction.
Director Renny Harlin has taken the franchise in a new direction with his last two films, The Strangers: Chapter One and The Strangers: Chapter Two. With a third film set to release in the near future, Harlin brings a much larger scale to the series, using its small-town environment to display how evil can spread. Although each film has a similar structure, they each have their own individual successes and failures when it comes to the execution of their stories.
Here are all 4 The Strangers movies ranked from worst to best.
‘The Strangers: Chapter Two’
There are some worthy aspects in The Strangers: Chapter Two, including its larger-scale production and fast-moving storytelling, but the film fails to build any worthwhile scares. Sequences in a hospital have a perfect, ominous set-up for thrills, but the filmmaking lacks the nuance or originality to make any scene evoke emotion. With a bizarre inclusion of a warthog and an unnecessary backstory for one of the main antagonists, The Strangers: Chapter Two doesn’t do nearly enough to warrant its existence.
‘The Strangers: Chapter Two’ Ruins What Makes the Franchise So Beloved
One of the main reasons why fans of the franchise find the Strangers so scary is that they lack a reason for why they terrorize people. In The Strangers: Chapter Two, a large portion of the film is dedicated to a backstory about one of the Strangers, discussing how their evil stemmed from a young age. These flashbacks completely ruin the mystery behind the characters, which is part of what makes these villains so popular. Although it is nice to see Harlin take creative swings for the franchise, these were not the correct steps to take.
‘The Strangers: Chapter One’
The Strangers: Chapter One was an intriguing project upon its announcement. Described as the first film in a new Strangers trilogy, there were many directions the film could’ve gone in to take audiences by surprise, but sadly, the film is nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the original film. Taking place mostly in a remote cabin, the film follows a couple in an identical situation to the characters in the original movie, even repeating the exact same sequences beat for beat. While the idea for a trilogy is interesting in concept, The Strangers: Chapter One is only interested in the greatest hits of the franchise, and doesn’t do nearly enough to stand out above the previous entries.
A ‘Strangers’ Trilogy Has Proven To Be Unnecessary
Shooting an entire trilogy of movies simultaneously makes for a unique approach to the horror genre, but The Strangers: Chapter One and The Strangers: Chapter Two prove that it didn’t need to exist in the first place. Whether they are recreating other films in the franchise or going into wildly different directions that ruin what makes these characters so beloved, these films do not do enough to justify their existence. With both films failing to score over 25% on Rotten Tomatoes and being unable to receive a fresh rating from audiences, the two films didn’t work for pretty much anyone who saw them.
‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’
The Strangers: Prey at Night doesn’t act as a direct sequel to the first film, but instead follows the Strangers as they attack a different group of protagonists in a new environment. Taking place in a mobile home park, it sees a family of four stalked and hunted by the masked killers from the first film. Oozing with ’80s aesthetic, the film successfully recaptures the energy of the first film while bringing larger stakes. With a much higher body count and its expansive setting, this sequel proved to be a more than worthy addition to the franchise.
‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’ Is What the ‘Strangers’ Trilogy Should’ve Been
Instead of just rehashing the first film or going in too bizarre of a direction like with The Strangers: Chapter Two, the filmmakers behind the last two Strangers movies needed to take note of what The Strangers: Prey at Night accomplished. The Strangers: Prey at Night managed to have its own signature style while still having the tension of the first film. The family element of The Strangers: Prey at Night also allows the audience to root for the characters way more than the other entries in the franchise. The last two Strangers movies took all the wrong steps in continuing this franchise, when what they should’ve done was right in front of them.
‘The Strangers’
The Strangers was a huge surprise hit upon release. Making $82 million on a $9 million budget, the film successfully captures the home invasion genre with its truly terrifying scares and constant tension throughout. Despite lacking character development, the film develops ideas of evil through the mystery. The audience never understands why the masked intruders are tormenting the main protagonists, only left with the answer: “because you were home.” The idea of people torturing others just for the sake of it makes for a haunting experience, and made them villain staples of 2000s horror.
The ‘Strangers’ Franchise Is One of the Most Divisive Horror Franchises Ever
Although the Strangers films have their fair share of fans, the franchise has proven to be one of the most divisive in recent memory. With the first film holding a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 48% from audiences, it shows that not even the most popular film in the franchise has a consensus on whether it’s a good or bad movie. Very few franchises continue on after receiving as negative and divisive of reviews as the Strangers films, and with The Strangers: Chapter Three still set to release in the near future, it seems that the franchise still has legs despite its muddled reviews.
- Release Date
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September 26, 2025
- Runtime
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96 Minutes
- Director
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Renny Harlin
- Writers
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Alan Freedland, Alan R. Cohen, Amber Loutfi
- Producers
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Courtney Solomon
- Sequel(s)
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The Strangers: Chapter 3 (2025)
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Brooke Lena Johnson
Nurse Danica
