How 'The Strangers' Compares to OG Horror Film: Similarities and Differences
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
Fans of The Strangers will experience some deja vu while watching the new trilogy - but that doesn't mean the upcoming movie directly mirrors the original.
The 2008 home invasion horror film starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple staying in an isolated home that get attacked by three masked criminals. The screenplay was inspired by the infamous Manson family Tate murders from 1969 and a series of break-ins that occurred at director and writer Bryan Bertino‘s home when he was a child.
A sequel was released in 2018 starring Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson and Damian Maffei. The new trilogy is a series of standalone films, with The Strangers: Chapter 1 following a similar premise to the OG film before expanding in the next two installments.
Director Renny Harlin‘s take on the franchise is also expected to be in the same continuity as the 2008's The Strangers and 2018's The Strangers: Prey at Night, while acting as a prequel to the original film.
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Harlin previously said he prioritized not leaving "unanswered questions" with his version of the trilogy.
"In the beginning of the [original] movie, you find that Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are fighting, you never find out what they're fighting about," he told Entertainment Weekly in October 2023. "We can answer questions here. We spent a lot of our time fine tuning how to answer those questions for original fans, how to make sure that there are a lot of pieces of homage to the original fans and that they are excited and feel like they're along for the same ride that they've loved forever while making it more modern, making it longer, and answering questions."
Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of the similarities - and differences - in The Strangers: Chapter 1 compared to The Strangers:
Similarity: Boys With Pamphlets
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
In the original movie, two young boys distributing Mormon religious pamphlets found Kristen (Tyler) and James (Speedman) the morning after their attack. The boys actually interacted with Dollface, Man in the Mask and Pin-Up Girl as they drove away from the home. Once they stumbled upon Kristen - who presumably survived - and James, one of the kids called the police.
The 2024 version centered around Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) also featured the boys but in a smaller role. After the couple's car broke down in the middle of a small town, they had to leave the vehicle at a repair shop, which is where they got offered pamphlets. Ryan later returned to town to grab dinner - and was once again given the religious paper by a person running the food truck.
Difference: The Dynamic Between the Leading Couple
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The Strangers: Chapter 1 picked up with Maya and Ryan traveling cross country while planning their future together. The pair later discussed the idea of marriage when Maya mentioned she was ready to take the next step with Ryan. Throughout the movie, Maya and Ryan's bond only grew stronger as they fought to stay alive and together.
Meanwhile, the 2008 version introduced viewers to Kristen and James as they were driving home from a wedding. Context clues confirmed that James was planning to propose until Kristen turned him down. Their relationship was at a crossroads when they returned to the house where the masked strangers would subsequently attack them.
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Similarity: Is Tamara Home?
There is something so chilling about the iconic line from The Strangers, ‘Is Tamara home?' That question allowed the assailants to figure out whether anyone was home before they commenced their attacks. That setup remained the same in both versions.
Difference: The Home Where It All Happens
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
James and Kristen were at his isolated childhood summer home while Maya and Ryan were more detached from their location. After their car was taken in for repairs, the suspicious locals took Maya and Ryan to a cabin in the woods that served as an AirBnB for a resident who wasn't around.
Similarity: The Sequence of Events That Isolated the Woman
In the 2008 version, James left to go buy cigarettes for Kristen, which is when the spooky girl came back to ask about Tamara again. Kristen started to realize there was someone else in the home with her right before James returned - and all hell broke loose.
The same setup was introduced in The Strangers: Chapter 1 when Ryan left to get his inhaler and some food. Maya started to grow uneasy but by the time Ryan got back he reassured her it was all fine - until it wasn't.
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Difference: Enhancing the Story
The Strangers: Chapter 1 appeared to do a lot more world building as viewers learned about Ryan and Maya before their attacks started. Their relationship drove the story more while The Strangers relied on less backstory for Kristen and James.
Similarity: Accidentally Killing the Wrong Person
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
It wouldn't be a horror movie if the main characters didn't ruin their chance at survival. In The Strangers, James asked a friend to pick him up in the morning after his proposal didn't work out. James expected the friend to come the following day, which is why he didn't realize when he was shooting at the masked villains that he could actually murder someone he knew.
In The Strangers: Chapter 1, Maya called a repairman who actually came in the knick of time as they were being terrorized. Ryan, however, didn't know that help was coming when he shot and killed the repairman while thinking he was one of the masked people.
Difference: More Communication
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The Strangers allowed the characters - and Us - to learn more about the murderers committing these horrific crimes. There was more communication across the board, which still managed to leave an air of mystery. The Strangers: Chapter 1 held back a bit more when it came to the interactions once the attacks began.
Similarity: Separating Them Before Their Reunion
In both versions, the couples ended up separated while trying to find ways to escape. The Strangers: Chapter 1 introduced an interesting story line with Ryan - who has asthma. While being chased into the woods, Ryan made himself a makeshift inhaler from a water bottle. The scary part was him trying to use it without being overheard.
Difference: The Morning Attack
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
The Strangers largely took place at night but after Kristen and James were knocked out, they woke up in the morning. That is when their kidnappers ultimately took turns stabbing them to death. That didn't remain the same in The Strangers: Chapter 1 where Maya and Ryan were attacked at night. (Spoiler alert: Maya was seen in the hospital after the fact also at night.)
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Similarity: Someone Surviving
Kristen appeared to survive the attacks when the last jump scare in The Strangers was her waking up the boys examining their bodies. The people who attacked them were long gone by then. As for The Strangers: Chapter 1, the assailants were interrupted by the sound of the police arriving at the house. Maya and Ryan were left for dead but the last scene showed Maya waking up in the hospital.
Difference: The Unmasking
Breaking Down the Similarities and Differences Between The Strangers Chapter 1 and OG Film
The 2008 film took an interesting approach by showing the murderers taking off their masks before attacking Kristen and James - but not showing us their faces. This fit in well with the rest of the movie, which enjoyed teasing questions without actual answers.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 didn't hint at the identities of the masked killers. But that could likely be because there's two more films planned where they would explore - and unmask - the strangers came to be.