The Strangers Chapter 2… the second in director Renny Harlin‘s trilogy, where all three were shot back-to-back, but no-one ever checked to see if people wanted more than ONE!
Yes, it’s time for another episode of “Things that go YAWN in the dark!”
Following along from the awful The Strangers Chapter 1 – and I will reference plot points from that film in this review, Maya (Madelaine Petsch) is the sole survivor of what took place in the log cabin, and we first see her waking up in hospital, but before long, spooky stuff happens, lights flicker, she has to run down a corridor with bare feet, and all the slasher movie clichés come out in force.
If you’re still unsure what the premise is, ‘The Strangers’ are a trilogy of individuals going round killing people, randomly and indiscriminately, seemingly with no consequences, and if anyone does manage to get the better of them, with a punch or a pitchfork, this does not appear to deter them or hinder their progess, as they’re soon up and about!
If you want more clichés, there’s a lot of running about in the woods, having an accident and having to sew yourself up like Rambo in First Blood.
The only thing of note – and I’d forgotten her being in the first film – is The Rumour‘s Rachel Shenton popping up as Maya’s older sister, Debbie, albeit here over the phone rather than in person.
The Strangers Chapter 1 came out in May last year, Chapter 2 was due later in year, with Chapter 3 at some point in 2025. May as well have just stuck with October each year and have done with it. Either way, the sequels get delayed because these films aren’t exactly setting the box office alight, with No.1 taking $48m at the box office, based on a $8.5m budget, because there’s no reason for anyone to need to watch it.
Remember that Renny Harlin brought us both Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, during the ’90s! 30+ years on, and he’s serving up a big dollop of shit that doesn’t even deserve 1/10!
More drama came about from the awful seating at my Odeon because it turned out the seat numbers in screen 19 are back to front!
Ideally, I’d take a row’s centre seat each time. This wasn’t possible, because someone else had booked there. Still, I got a seat a few in from the aisle, ending up in F4, as I’ll indicate on the seat map shown below (albeit not for that performance, since you can’t bring up a seat map from the past). But in reality, with 12 seats in a (purple) Premiere seat row, that is actually seat F9.
I’d got settled with my coat to my right, bag to my left, and no-one in my vicinity according to the seat map… until shortly before the film started.
Two women had booked F7 and F8. Given that the screen was now quite dark, they hadn’t worked out that they were not sat where they originally intended. I did get across to them about the problems with the seating numbers, but I’m not sure that they fully grasped it. Either way, I was about to head off elsewhere. Even though they’re technically right, I don’t like people invading my space, and it totally pissed me off.
I got everything together, grabbed my coat since it would be where one of them would be putting their bottom, and since the other side of the F row was busy, I went for E4 – yes, the ACTUAL E4.
But the drama didn’t end there, because while trying to settle down before the film began, I realised I didn’t have my mobile phone… it was on my jacket, which I had to quickly whip away from that seat. I went back, and yes, it was now on the floor. On the plus side, I take handwash out with me wherever I go, and the phone case (which envelops the phone) got liberal doses of it, and several times. BLEAH!
And then later on, for the couple in the middle of row E, the woman of the two started using her phone from time to time. Fucking hate that, since it means everyone gets a blast of light from it. Her boyfriend didn’t seem to even notice, but if I was dating someone and you’re planning to take your phone out on a regular basis, you can do it OUTSIDE!
And to think I’d originally been planning to go to the previous screening in that room…
I’ll also throw in an audience experience for Hamilton’s 10th Anniversary, since I’m not reviewing that particular show (as I don’t really do musicals, was just giving it a whirl, and it was a bit yawnsome).
I wasn’t sure if I’d stay for the whole show anyway, or break out after 30 mins for the 3.50pm showing of The Strangers Chapter 2, and also had alternate seats planned, given the prime Premiere seat I’d booked since had 2 people now to my left, and one clear seat to my right, but then 2 people. With two behind me, and a full row in front, I’d be hemmed in if I wanted to leave.
When I got there, those two couples at the sides were absent and didn’t turn up, but… there was a couple in front of me, and although they’d occasionally be chatting quietly, every time they kept putting their heads together, on the occasion when I *did* get engaged, their twattery would take me out of it.
I figured in the end that they weren’t a ‘couple’, as such. I shushed him, and he told me to “shut up!” What a cunt!
What part of “you’re in the cinema, so stop gabbing away?” do some arseholes not understand? Still, he has to live with himself being like that, and what could be worse than that?
NOTE: There’s technically a mid-credits scene, but it’s just a teaser for The Strangers Chapter 3, and it states “Coming soon”. Hopefully not for a long time.
The Strangers Chapter 2 is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date TBA.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 98 minutes
Release date: September 26th 2025
Studio: Lionsgate Movies
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 (ARRI Alexa Mini LF (Main Camera), ARRI Alexa Mini LF, Hawk class-X Anamorphic, Mini Hawk Hybrid Lenses, Zeiss Standard Speed, DJI Action Cam 2, RED Komodo)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 0/10
Director: Renny Harlin
Producers: Alastair Burlingham, Mark Canton, Charlie Dombek, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin, Courtney Solomon
Screenplay: Alan R Cohen, Alan Freedland
Music: Justin Caine Burnett
Cast:
Maya: Madelaine Petsch
Gregory: Gabriel Basso
Shelly / Pin-Up Girl: Ema Horvath
Ryan: Froy Gutierrez
Debbie: Rachel Shenton
Dollface: Olivia Kreutzova
Scarecrow: Matus Lajcak
Nurse Danica: Brooke Johnson
Doctor: JR Esposito
Sheriff Rotter: Richard Brake
Deputy Walters: Pedro Leandro
Carol: Janis Ahern
Rudy: Ben Cartwright
Annie: Sara Freedland
Dougie: Stevee Davies
Jasmine: Ella Bruccoleri
Young Pin-Up Girl: Nola Wallace
Young Tamara: Pippa Blaylock
Young Scarecrow: Jake Cogman
The Orderly: Vincent Zaninovich
Shar (Farmer Woman): Lily Knight
Chris: Florian Clare
Radio Preacher VO: Eric Hathern
Wayne: Milo Callaghan
Cook: William Lee Rayner
Neil: Pablo Sandstrom
Billy Bufford: Joplin Sibtain
EMT Driver: Brian Law
Dollface Photo Double: Jamie Taylor Ballesta
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.