I am always a fan of a good scare. I have been a fan of scary movies since I was young. These days, movies are very different. So, it can be hard to find a good scary movie. Even the gorier films are few and far between. So, anytime I see something that scares me I really appreciate it. Also, it doesn’t happen often. So, that makes me appreciate it more when it does.

I saw the first The Strangers and was curious. When I saw it, I liked it. I thought it was a good concept and it wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible. So, naturally when the sequel came out I thought I would give it a try. As rare as it is, some sequels can be more fun than the originals. And since we are fans of trilogies these days, I was pretty sure that a sequel meant there would be another at some point. I didn’t have high hopes. I know better. But, I was curious to see where they were going with it and how it would turn out.

First of all, let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t meant to be an Oscar film. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that the acting is bad. As much as I love Christina Hendricks, this genre isn’t her forte and the character isn’t one I could believe her as. I just thought it was a little overacted in some spots and a bit rough around the edges in others. Martin Henderson isn’t known for his acting skills and has always been a little less than believable in his not so amazing roles. And this one is just as mediocre. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate him. But, I did feel like he was more of an afterthought. The daughter and son in the movie were just as forgettable. There wasn’t anyone to carry the film, except the actors wearing masks. And that isn’t a good thing. Even though I couldn’t see their faces, I still found it hard to believe them or be scared of them. It just didn’t work for me.

I would normally mention something about the film direction, palate and manipulation or the rest of the film. But, there wasn’t anything worth mentioning. The direction wasn’t anything special, the palate was moody at best and poorly lit in the most honest telling. There were even parts of the film that I couldn’t see anything. I didn’t know what I was looking at for about ten minutes total of the film. I was able to fill in the blanks later, but it made it easier to disconnect from the film; the VERY little I was connected. And in case you’re curious, I wasn’t scared at all. I didn’t even think it was funny. It was more annoying than anything. The great part is that I had time for some self-reflection. But, I didn’t come to any conclusions; so I guess it was a total bust for me

Overall, I didn’t like the film. I didn’t think that there was anything positive to say about it. I didn’t like the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the aesthetics and it didn’t scare me. I tried. I thought about it for hours after it was over. But, I just couldn’t find anything nice to say about it. This movie is a two out of ten. But, I can say this much. Don’t see it in a theater. Don’t even bother renting it. If it’s on Netflix or Hulu one day and you have already binged everything in your que, you can check it out. You’ll need a glass of wine or bottle of vodka, though. If you tend to need mixers after a few, make sure you have those ready. It will be a long night of drinking. I honestly think that the best option might even be to wait until the third one is in theaters, then watch the first and this sequel. Then, you can go see the third and you’ll have made a fun day of it. But, if you do decide to go that route; start drinking early. Maybe go to brunch, have some wine and keep going.