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: The Misfits (2021)

The continuing disappointment of mediocrity from director Renny Harlin continues with this film, a comedy crime caper that takes a pretty good cast and spends too much time not making the most of their talents. Some people can overcome the flimsy script, Pierce Brosnan having the lead role is a big plus, but it’s a shame that the overriding feeling once the end credits roll is that you’ve just watched something quite lazy and carelessly thrown together.

The title almost tells you everything you need to know. A group of criminals are put together for a big job. They have various skills, and they are happy to be called The Misfits. The target is a man named Schultz (Tim Roth), someone who has made his fortune by building prisons, but has used one such building to house a secret stash of gold. How? Why? Those questions don’t matter. You just need to know that this heist somehow seems overly complicated and ridiculously simple at the same time.

Harlin directs competently enough, this is a light-hearted caper that he can just have some fun with, ensuring that his cast always looks good and there are shots of expensive lifestyle accessories showing the rich pickings around our “heroes”, from lovely watches to lovely supercars. It’s the script that provides all the problems, too preoccupied with banter and wit to actually remember that there should be at least a small bit of tension here and there. It’s no surprise to find that the script was co-written by someone who has previously delivered mainly comedic fare - Robert Henny - and someone who can do enjoyably stupid or just stupid stupid - Kurt Wimmer.

Brosnan seems to be having a ball in his role though, and that enthusiasm is infectious enough to help make the film a lot more tolerable. As for the others in the team, they’re all likeable enough. There’s Nick Cannon, Jamie Chung, Mike Angelo, and Hermione Corfield (playing the daughter of Brosnan’s character), each playing someone bringing their own particular skillset to the group, and you also get fun supporting turns from Rami Jaber, Qais Qandil, and one or two others who are proving to be a help or hindrance to the main plan. Roth is a standard mark - two steps behind, and with plenty of reasons to make his loss justified and more satisfying - and he does what is asked of him, but sadly never feels as dangerous as he should.

It’s slick and bathed in sunshine, but The Misfits is also absolutely disposable. Which isn’t a crime, it just makes it a film that you should never prioritise ahead of many better viewing options you might have. But for something to watch when you don’t want anything overlong (this clocks in at just over 90 minutes), overly complicated, or overly emotional, this absolutely fits the bill. It’s a simple slice of entertainment, benefiting hugely from the star power of Brosnan.

5/10

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Prime Time: The Covenant (2006)

Directed by Renny Harlin and written by J. S. Cardone, The Covenant is a fun and vapid tale of young sorcerers battling one another as they face a major threat on the way to gaining their full powers once they reach adulthood.

An opening text tells you about the Sons Of Ipswich, descendants of the most powerful families in the area they live, gaining powers at the age of 13 before they fully “ascend” at the age of 18. Caleb Danvers (Steven Strait) is the nominal leader of the four young men, and he is the first one due to turn 18 soon. There’s jealousy and anger in the group, especially when some misuse their power, a power that is addictive and damaging, and things get more strained with the arrival of two newcomers, a young woman (Sarah, played by Laura Ramsey) and a young man (Chase, played by Sebastian Stan). And someone is using powers to cause trouble, but who is it?

Harlin is someone I have mentioned before as a director who consistently delivered fun movies for a number of years before then losing his touch and helming movies that felt far removed from his better outings. As much as many may deride, and even hate, The Covenant, I have always thought it was a blast. Cardone’s script is predictable and just the right level of silly, taking time, for example, to allow the main characters to shout “Harry Potter can kiss my ass” as they take their car up in the air while they evade police. It will make you cringe at times, but it's better than any script used in Cardone's own directorial efforts, I can tell you that much.

The cast are all attractive youngsters, picked for how they look in the different groups, and probably how they work in scenes that have then shooting balls of energy from their hands (a special skill that Strait also displayed in the enjoyable Sky High). Nobody stands out, not even Strait or Stan, but they fit perfectly with the cool and glossy aesthetic of the movie. It may be a film with supernatural moments dotted throughout almost every scene, but this is not aiming to create any scares. Thrills, yes, but no scares.

There’s an energetic soundtrack, ready to pop up whenever it takes Harlin’s fancy, the CGI isn’t too bad, masked by the blue/grey colour scheme a lot of the time (it isn’t great, but it is serviceable), and you get decent pacing from start to finish. It is a teen movie, unashamedly so, and definitely aiming to appeal to people who have enjoyed the massively popular hits of supernatural pop culture touchstones from the past few decades (Potter, Buffy, Charmed, Supernatural). It doesn’t even entirely work in that regard, yet it makes itself almost impossible to find boring and unlikeable. Which is a statement I know will just encourage responses from anyone who found it boring and unlikeable.

I have watched this a few times over the years. I would happily watch it again. I know I am in the minority, but this is my review and I’m not suddenly going to start to pretend that I have any sense of shame.

7/10

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Cliffhanger (1993)

One of many movies in the 1990s to benefit from great practical effects complemented by some of the latest CGI (quality may vary, but the best moments are the ones that you don't realise have been manipulated and enhanced with effects in the editing suite), Cliffhanger remains a fantastic star vehicle for Sylvester Stallone, and a fun time for action movie fans.

Stallone is Gabe Walker, a mountain ranger shown in the opening sequence unable to save the life of a woman who falls to her death. That woman was the current squeeze of fellow ranger Hal Tucker (Michael Rooker), which causes no small amount of tension between the two. Some time passes, and it's on to the grand criminal plan at the heart of the plan. A daring plane heist by a dangerous crook named Qualen (John Lithgow) and his gang. With difficult weather conditions and cases of money dropped on the mountain range, Qualen and co. end up calling the local rangers for help, only to then force them into being their personal guides. Gabe and Hal do their best to gain the upper hand, but the odds are stacked against them. Well . . . they would be, if Gabe wasn't played by Sylvester Stallone. Obviously.

Directed by Renny Harlin, Cliffhanger is basically Die Hard on a mountain. It's a very simple, and very silly, action movie. It's also hugely enjoyable, thanks in no small part to the dedication from Harlin and his crew. There's one amazing set-piece in the first third of the movie, a plane to plane crossing performed by Simon Crane, but there's an impressive sense of scale throughout, and an enjoyable variety of threats and obstacles.

As well as having the main role, Stallone also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael France. It may not stand out as something startlingly original, but it's perfectly paced and manages to constantly hit the sweet spot between the maybe remotely plausible and the completely impossible, but very entertaining.

It's the kind of lead role sold as an action star lead role, obviously, and Stallone handles himself capably. Rooker is a decent enough supporting player, and Janine Turner also does well, playing the main female lead on the side of the heroes. On the side of the villains, Lithgow is a blast, getting himself some fantastic dialogue that he delivers with gusto. He cannot compete with others physically, but retains the upper hand with his wits and ability to mercilessly do whatever needs done to find his cash. Rex Linn and Craig Fairbrass have their share of moments, Leon has a memorable encounter with Stallone that doesn't end well, and Caroline Goodall is the one female member of the criminal gang.

You know exactly what you're getting with Cliffhanger, much like many other action blockbusters, and it's pretty much perfect when you're in the right mood for it. Bombastic music from Trevor Jones ensures few quiet moments in between the gunfire, explosions, and yelling, and it's a film best enjoyed on a big screen with a good surround sound system turned up loud.

8/10

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Noir November: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Director Renny Harlin had quite a run of movies in which he could do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. I include Cutthroat Island in that selection (a decent action flick undeserving of its legacy as "the film that sank Carolco" - well, Showgirls also had a part to play there). Shane Black is a writer who has consistently entertained me over the years (from the greatness of Lethal Weapon up the not-as-great-but-still-good-ness of Iron Man 3). And Geena Davis? Well, I've been a big fan of her ever since I fell in love with her in Tootsie, small role though it was. I'm telling you all of this as a way to explain part of the reason why I love The Long Kiss Goodnight so much, which is directed by Harlin, written by Black, and stars Davis.

Davis is Samantha Caine, a housewife who only has memory of her last eight years on this planet. Anything before that is a blank. She has a private detective (Mitch, played by Samuel L. Jackson) on the case, but has resigned herself to the fact that she may never know about any of her old life. Unfortunately for her, it soon becomes clear that her old life is looking to majorly bite her on the ass. Events start to occur that jolt Samantha back to her old self, a woman who used to work as a skilled assassin for the government. As you might suspect, she made some enemies with her past career choice, and some of them are keen to get their revenge.

Davis is a convincing action heroine, and has a lot of fun transitioning from the sweet and innocent Samantha Caine to the foul-mouthed, deadly Charly Baltimore of her past. Jackson does great work as her co-star, with the two sparking off each other nicely in between, and even during, the action moments. The two might not quite make it to the level of previous action movie team-ups, but they're great nonetheless. Craig Bierko is an entertaining villain, irredeemably nasty and always slightly over the top, while Brian Cox and David Morse both play characters who could be good or bad, making Samantha's encounters with them all the more interesting. Yvonne Zima does fine as the young daughter, who may end up in a bit of trouble thanks to her mother, and Tom Amandes is the supportive partner.

There's a decent soundtrack, an unsurprising use of snow and Christmas decorations throughout (it's a Shane Black thing), enjoyable and ridiculous action moments, and plenty of great one-liners (also a Shane Black thing, of course). I can't say that Davis has had a bad film career, but her capability in this always makes me regret that she didn't ever get a chance to truly shine in many other female badass characters. Harlin directs with his usual competence, but the film turns to gold thanks to the great dialogue and the convincing turn from Davis. I love it.

9/10

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The Dyatlov Pass Incident AKA Devil's Pass (2013)

Perhaps it's time I parted ways with Renny Harlin, time I stopped thinking that he still has what it takes to keep me entertained with the dumb fun he presents. It's been a while since I've loved anything that he's done now, and this is coming from a guy who enjoyed The Covenant, and it's clear that the peak of his career will always be the run that he had throughout the 1990s.

In Devil's Pass (known here in the UK as The Dyatlov Pass Incident) he wanders into overcrowded found footage territory. The end result may be far from the worst film to be created in that style, but it never rises above average either.

The plot is about a team of eager youngsters who want to retrace the steps of some mountain climbers who died at the Dyatlov Pass, in mysterious circumstances, many years ago. The Dyatlov Pass incident is true, and it is one of those mysteries that has fascinated people for many years. I'm not going to cover everything in detail here but I encourage people to check out the full story, or just use this movie as a very broad launchpad for more research.

The acting from everyone onscreen is solid, I guess. Nobody will win any awards for this one, and the script doesn't help to keep everyone separate from one another (it gets better as the movie unfolds, but I kept forgetting who was Jensen, played by Matt Stokoe, and who was JP, played by Luke Albright). Holly Goss is the nominal lead, Gemma Atkinson doesn't get a hell of a lot to do, and Ryan Hawley is stuck with being one of the more irritating members of the group.

The most frustrating thing about Devil's Pass, arguably, is seeing just how easy it would be to improve. The incident being used to kick off the chain of events is a fascinating one, but writer Vikram Weet decides to use it to develop a theory that swiftly moves from the eerie and interesting to the ridiculous and annoying (although the final minute is a good "punchline"). There's also no decent atmosphere created in the movie until the last ten minutes or so, which is just lazy and wasteful.

As divisive as it was, at least YellowBrickRoad took a very similiar premise and tried to go down a different path with it, no pun intended. There's enough here to keep film fans reasonably entertained, and Harlin has never been an incompetent director (even if you don't like the material he has worked with), but horror fans may end up, rightfully, throwing this one on the "not recommended" pile.

5/10

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Prison (1988)

Quite a simple premise, the spirit of a dead prisoner returns for vengeance when the prison is reopened for business and full of inmates again. Directed by Renny Harlin, this is yet another enjoyable movie from a man who has very rarely done wrong by me.

It may lack the impact it wants to have, what with the story twists and turns being really rather obvious throughout, but Prison still has some good moments of tension here and there and a few fantastic death scenes.

The cast are all pretty good, too. Viggo Mortensen does well in an early feature role, Lane Smith is fantastic as a strict warden, Chelsea Field doesn't get that much screentime but holds her own in a movie overflowing with testosterone and Lincoln Kilpatrick is excellent. Support comes from Tom Everett, Ivan Kane, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister and even Kane Hodder so genre fans should be more than pleased with the assortment of faces onscreen.

The script, by C. Courtney Joyner and based on a story by Irwin Yablans, does what is needed though things quickly become far too strange to be explained away easily so that starts eroding at your suspension of disbelief from before the halfway mark.

Harlin directs as competently as ever. There are some nice camera shots and some great use of lighting which, along with a bag of practical effects, often leads in to some supernatural event. The gore on display is effective but not overexposed and the nasty deaths hold up as well today as they did back in the late 80s. It's a shame that the score, by Richard Band and Christopher L. Stone, never comes close to matching any of the visuals and weakens a lot of the atmosphere being built up.

Personally, I always felt that while Prison seemed to come and go when it was initially released the main reason for that was not because it was a bad movie but because it was quickly overshadowed by Shocker, released the following year. While the two are very different movies, there are enough similiarities in the methods of the killer and the advertising artwork to have possibly encouraged moviegoers to wait and see the "Wes Craven film". Possibly. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it, especially because I quite like Prison even if it's nothing to set the world alight (ironically enough).

6/10.

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