Prime Time: The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

Another expansion of a horror property that nobody seemed to be crying out for, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the first of a new trilogy in this series. All three were apparently filmed at the same time, and the series is now in the hands of Renny Harlin, who remains a shadow of his former self, in terms of his directing talent.

Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are travelling across the country when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There's a small town, which means they're able to leave their car to get repaired and rent an isolated cabin for the night. That's when the strangers start paying attention to them. Everything starts with a knock on the door, and it soon escalates to a full campaign of terror and death.

While this is written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, a duo who don't exactly have any major highlights in their careers, it's probably justified to give most of the credit to Bryan Bertino, creator of the original film in the series. The best bits here are the bits that replicate moments from the original movie. The rest is a whole lot of nothing, so insubstantial and weak that I am already struggling to fill out this review. Bad decisions abound, of course, and there's no attempt to make things logical or realistic (e.g. the moment a getaway in a car is foiled, subsequently showing our leads completely ignoring another vehicle that could be used). Some jump scares work, and there's an enjoyable creepiness inherent in the scenes that have our leads being unaware of characters wandering around behind them, but that's very basic stuff that almost anyone could get right.

Harlin has misplaced faith in the material, not ever thinking of ways to further liven things up or bring in enough supporting characters to multiply the opportunities for mayhem and murder, and there's absolutely nothing here that has me looking forward to the next two instalments.

Petsch and Gutierrez are both good enough in the lead roles, and both work hard to keep this watchable while working with a screenplay that doesn't treat them very well. It's a thankless task, but one they handle as well as possible. The mask-wearing strangers are portrayed well, but those performances consist mainly of head-tilts and acting unhurried when the situation is fraught with danger.

I can only think of one or two people who seemed pleased when this trilogy of films was first announced. They'll probably be happy enough with this. Personally, I don't see why you would choose to watch this when the first two films do much better work with the premise.

4/10

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Prime Time: Initiation (2020)

There’s an idea here that could have been developed into a good movie, but let me quickly state that this is not a good movie. Social commentary that falls flat, slasher movie moments that fall equally flat, Initiation is just a huge missed opportunity that seems too focused on depicting social media and shared text messages onscreen.

The ball really starts rolling when a young woman, Kylie (Isabella Gomez), ends up in a room full of young men, including Wes Scott (Froy Gutierrez). Taken home by a friend, Ellery (Lindsay LaVanchy), who also happens to be the sister of Wes, Kylie starts to worry the next day about just what may have happened.  It may be tied to a horrific “game” that the males play once a year, marking their victims out online with an exclamation mark, and Ellery has to accept the fact that her brother is complicit in a sexual assault, unsurprising as he was accused of the same thing just one year before. Then the killing begins.

Directed by John Berardo , who co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Frager and LaVanchy, Initation seems so focused on getting exploring the damage that can be done through social media that it forgets to deliver anything worthwhile, including a proper look at the damage that can be done through social media. It’s as if everyone was so happy to fill the screen with photos and messages characters send/receive on their phones and computers that they forgot all about what they were actually targeting with their material.

Aside from the character played by Gomez, nobody makes a strong impression. Nobody, whether they are supposed to be good or bad. I liked seeing Yancy Butler and Lochlyn Munro, but just because of the recognition factor, nothing to do with the characters they play. One of the other main actors shared a surname with the director, which I suspect explains his inclusion, and I think that sums up the approach to making this. It feels like a group of people who were lucky enough to get a budget allowing them to turn their pet project into a feature.

It may not be entirely bloodless, but Initiation will certainly disappoint anyone seeking it out as a standard slasher. The runtime clocks in at just under 100 minutes, and the first half really drags. Absolutely nothing stands out, except the staggering ability the film has to have nothing standing out.

Lacking any courage, in terms of both the commentary on culture and the “boys will be boys” mantra that has people overlooking so many serious assaults and in terms of standard slasher movie fare, Initiation is so weak that it has me hoping those involved work with much stronger individuals, or people with much clearer vision, on any future projects. This is an initiation to avoid.

3/10

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