Despite finding its way on to many a worst of the year lists when it released in theaters last May, The Strangers - Chapter 1 ended up taking in a respectable $48 million worldwide on a modest budget of $8.5 million, which means we're getting at least one more movie... whether we like it or not!
The Strangers - Chapter 2 is now in theaters, but critics have been even more scathing about the slasher sequel for the most part. Chapter 1 earned 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Chapter 2 currently sits at an abysmal 15% on the review aggregator - although it's worth noting that several reviews do point out that it's a (slight) improvement over its predecessor.
After narrowly surviving the harrowing events of the previous movie, beleaguered final girl Maya (Madelaine Petsch) wakes up in a hospital bed next to her (very) dead boyfriend, only to come to the realization that the nightmare is far from over.
The official synopsis reads: "The Strangers are back – more brutal and relentless than ever. When they learn that one of their victims, Maya (Madelaine Petsch), is still alive, they return to finish what they’ve started. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya must survive another horrific chapter of terror as The Strangers – driven by a senseless, unceasing purpose – pursue her, more than willing to kill anyone who stands in their way."
Check out the most recent trailer below, and let us know if you plan on giving the movie a go despite the negative reviews.
Director Renny Harlin shot the entire trilogy back-to-back, so even if Chapter 2 underperforms at the box office, we will most likely see that final movie at some point (try to contain your excitement),
"[It was] the challenge of a lifetime, but I also really embraced it," the filmmaker said in a recent interview. "On a Monday morning, I could be shooting the second chapter, and Monday afternoon I could be shooting the first chapter, and Tuesday morning I could be shooting the third chapter. it was incredibly demanding for the actors, for the continuity in terms of the make-up and wardrobe, and for my director of photography, because we wanted to create a visual language that develops so that the movies get bigger, more epic, as we go [on]. It just kept all of our juices pumping all the time"
The Strangers - Chapter 2 was written by Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland, based on Characters Created by Bryan Bertino. Courtney Solomon, p.g.a., Mark Canton, p.g.a., Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Alastair Burlingham, and Charlie Dombek are on board as producers. The cast also includes Gabriel Basso and Ema Horvath.