Movie Review: The Strangers (2008)

by Hollis Jay

After watching The Strangers a few times, I became truly aware of the misogynistic views throughout the film. The women are separated into two categories: vulnerable and violent, but all three women are instigated only by their male figures. Kristen McKay’s character (Liv Tyler) cannot even seem to tie her shoe laces without her boyfriend. If James (Scott Speedman) isn’t carrying her from one destination to another or unzipping her dress and removing her jewelry piece by piece, then he is being beckoned for by Kristen throughout the entire movie.

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Her fervent calls for James and/or Jimmy become annoying but it is her inability for care for herself that turns from annoyance to downright ignorance. There is even one section of the movie, where she drops her weapon and sits with her hands over her eyes. Is she waiting to be killed? Does she even want to defend herself or know how without the help of Jimmy? On the flip side of the coin, we have both Dollface (Gemma Ward) and Pin-Up-Girl (Laura Margolis) who don’t even seem to kill with their own free will. Both are seemingly provoked by Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks) to carry out their vicious acts. They follow this, their leader, around without question. He is imminently in control of the situation, while both women rely on his commands and not on their own abilities. Maybe during Bryan Bertino’s writing and/or directing of the film, he forgot to add any strong and reliant women to his movie. We’ll never know, but the women in this bad film don’t even have the ability to think rationally or on their own. But, you do…so pick another horror flick to watch.