Fan Film Delivers What Movies Didn’t: An Origin Story for THE STRANGERS
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because you were home.”
In The Strangers (directed by Bryan Bertino and released in 2008) this chilling exchange is the crux of the entire film. In other words: There’s no rhyme or reason to it; bad things happen to good people; sucks to be you. When The Strangers: Prey at Night hit theaters earlier this year, this same theme was reiterated in a slight revision of the “Because you were home” reply; something along the lines of “Why the fuck not?” In both cases, the message is clear: Extreme violence doesn’t require a backstory.
We’ve seen this in other franchises, and Halloween is a perfect example: The less we know about what makes Michael Myers tick the better; it helps maintain the perception that he’s a manifestation of pure evil. With The Strangers: Prey at Night, however, fans were divided. Not knowing the motivations of The Strangers is unnerving, but, in this case, a backstory would have added many unique layers to the established (lack of) mythology.
For those who wished we knew more about The Strangers, who they are, and/or how the group came together, a new fan film written and directed by Jakob Owens will surely whet your whistle. Give The Strangers: Origins a spin at the top of the article and Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
