If ever there was a “middle” film in a franchise trilogy that had to elevate itself way above its predecessor, then there is a very good argument for The Strangers: Chapter 2  being the perfect example of that. The original plan was that when The Strangers: Chapter 1 opened in May 2024, Chapter 2 would then be released in October 2024, and the concluding chapter in the first months of 2025. This (at the time) well-publicised strategy has since been conveniently forgotten about (seriously, look back at trade interviews and articles from early 2024, overconfident or what?) and well over a year later, we finally get Part 2. That is despite the vast majority of the footage for all three “Chapters” being shot back-to-back in November 2022, making one long film in essence. It would be pretty negative to think that this delay was due to the predominantly negative responses that Chapter 1 got from critics and horror fans… but, yeah, it was probably due to that. The main problem is that the content of Chapter 1 was an almost shot-for-shot remake of Bryan Bertino’s well-regarded creep fest from 2008. Sure, it was a different cast, and there was a prologue involving the local town (packed full of deeply sus characters). Otherwise, it might as well have been the same film with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman deep-faked out of the footage. Griping aside, and with no surprises, Chapter 2 is directed by Renny Harlin (as are all chapters of the whole thing) with Madelaine Petsch returning as the “lucky” survivor of the titular character’s attentions in the 2024 opener. Just knocking on the door in the States and good ol’ Blighty, pretend you’re out if you don’t want to go along for the ride…

 

It actually starts with an unexpected revelation that is probably the only bit of innovation and surprise in the whole film. Don’t worry, though, this opportunity is squandered later on. After that, we join Maya (Petsch) in a small Oregon hospital near the backwoods town of Venus. She’s recovering from the near-fatal stabbing and torture session she endured at the hands of The Strangers from the last Chapter. Scarecrow (or The Man in the Mask, or Baghead, depending on what you want to call him), Dollface, and Pinup Girl had left her in the cabin believing she was dead. But she’s now being interviewed by (the strangely offhand) police officers, including Sheriff Rotter (the always sinister Richard Brake), about her ordeal. Unfortunately, the dumb cops gas about her survival at the local diner, and The Strangers decide to pay her a visit during a thunderstorm (because of course there’s one). From that point onwards, Maya is chased incessantly by the terrible trio, using ingenuity and any resources she comes across to escape. Locals help or hinder her, but Maya’s paranoia is at fever pitch, and she is unable to trust anyone. It culminates in an event that is sure to change the tone and outcome of Chapter 3.

 

Well, at least Chapter 2 is not another lazy remake. It has a couple of good moments, and Petsch is certainly committed to her role and the completion of the saga. And that is pretty much all the good stuff that can be said about this film. Oddly enough, even calling it a complete “film” feels a bit of a joke. Everyone knows that it’s a trilogy, and the inevitable “to be continued” caption comes up at a point in the film that feels unearned and somewhat underwhelming. It’s nowhere near being a “cliff hanger” that will have you biting your nails in anticipation for the third chapter, which is mostly the feeling you’ll have for the duration of the 98 minutes on screen here. The middle part of a trilogy, the meat in any part of a movie sandwich, needs to continue the central arc but be able to stand on its own as well. This doesn’t do that, and it leaves a lot to be desired in many respects. It’s not that the technical aspects are particularly bad. But there is a lot to take umbrage with as the “plot” wends its merry way through the dark woodland.

 

The opening sequences establish the tone and ambition of this franchise entry. It’s the old “final girl in a hospital” horror trope. Think Halloween 2 (1981), Visiting Hours, Cold Prey 2, etc. There are actually some decent moments of tension as Maya (out of nowhere) develops the survival instincts of a cockroach and (apparently) the healing power of Wolverine. Deftly zooming to all kinds of hidey-holes and outthinking her pursuers, this is fine for the first twenty minutes or so, even quite compelling. But then this turns out to be the whole plot, albeit with some diversions and some dumb decisions. Not forgetting some laughable dialogue, weird sub-plot details, and some head-smackingly annoying side-characters. Think that’s an unfair exaggeration? Well, take this example: a new character appears from nowhere, confronts another character for the first time, and this is their “hello”, their opening gambit to a conversation; “I’m here about the lack of police response regarding all the murders in this area!” Without a word of a lie, I burst out laughing at the screening. It’s not just the line, it’s the delivery, the situation, and what happens after that exchange. It’s a personal reaction, but… unintentionally hilarious… and not in a good way.

 

That’s not the only example of misjudged hilarity and huge cliches. The movie throws its trawling net into the sea of cinematic horror and hauls in just about every trope you could think of in this genre. As well as obvious slasher slants, we get killer kids, backwoods conspiracies, and animal horror. Yes, in a mad filler sequence that is stunningly daft, “something” non-human tracks and attacks the unfortunate Maya. Not only that, but there’s a derelict car nearby so that Cujo can be ripped off for a couple of minutes! It really is a hodgepodge of sub-genre references that don’t stick to the wall, no matter how hard you throw them at the camera. What makes it even worse is the way in which ALL characters (other than Maya) go significantly out of their way to act like suspicious assholes. Seriously. Every character! They either glare at her, drool (yes, really), say weird stuff, or generally just ignore the fact that the poor girl is covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, or is obviously having an emotional breakdown. No wonder she jumps out of moving cars or moves heavy objects in front of doors whenever she can!

 

It’s at this point that you have to admit that Petsch is at least entirely committed to the role and emotes/screams quite well in many situations. In all fairness, she’s devoted a lot of time to this and is also an executive producer. So, it’s a pity that in this entry, she’s only got about ten lines and is underserved by the material. There are so, so many close-ups of her eyes twitching madly that you’ll become irritated by them. Yes, there is an emphasis on trauma and stress (causing her to hallucinate at times), but cut the girl a break! She gets more abuse in 90 minutes than Laurie Strode got across her entire franchise! It goes from gruelling to annoying very quickly, and any sense of realism takes a lengthy vacation. Then there is her gold nail polish, which never gets scuffed or damaged in any way. Petsch recently went online to support this detail, saying that final girls should be allowed this luxury. Well, fine, but you’d think that with what Maya goes through (including major surgery), they would not look like she’s just walked out of a salon!

 

Along with Petsch’s gameness for the gruelling, there are a couple of other decent ingredients. Tension does sometimes ramp up (although it often climaxes with predictable jump scares), and there are a few clever details. Maya hides in the morgue with her fiancé’s corpse, as it’s the only dead body she feels comfortable squeezing in with! The only other emotionally tangible scene comes when Maya catches sight of her wounds and tearfully dwells on the scars that will be with her for the rest of her life. Other than that, it’s just chase and slash, so at least the screening time passes quickly (something that couldn’t be said about the first one). Another questionable aspect is the decision to provide a (sort of) origin for some of the title characters. As most people in the horror community have noted, wasn’t the ambiguity of the killers in the original film something that made it work more effectively? Do we need to know the source of one of the masks or where the name “Tamara” came from? Well, it’s shoehorned in here if you want to know.

 

The trilogy as a whole will likely be seen in the future as some kind of failed experiment. If you wait for a mid-credit tease, you’ll be treated to the first trailer for Chapter 3. To be honest, it doesn’t look inspiring and hints at more tropes/cliches and at least one depressingly unoriginal twist. At the very least, it is bound to provide more “flashbacks” regarding the background of the big bads. This whole back-to-back thing hasn’t worked here because the chapters (so far) feel like what they are, parts of a whole, with two of those parts acting as set-ups. Harlin just doesn’t seem to be invested or firing on any cylinders here, and the material is nowhere near imaginative or compelling enough to justify this trilogy approach. At least The Strangers: Prey at Night had that awesome “Total Eclipse of the Heart” scene. And Christina Hendricks. Nothing here comes close. Or is likely to be in the next chapter. But if you’re still curious to see it, knock yourself out.