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Horror film

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) movie poster

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a 2024 horror film directed by Renny Harlin, starring Madelaine Petsch as Maya, Froy Gutierrez and Ben Cartwright. It runs 1 hour 31 minutes and earned $48.2 million worldwide on a $8.5 million budget. Critics gave it 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 4.7/10.

IMDb rating
4.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes
21%
worldwide gross
$48.2M
Echo Score
38
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The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 31m (91 min)
Director
Renny Harlin
Genre
Horror
Original language
English
Budget
$8.5M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Strangers: Chapter 1 About?

The premise of The Strangers: Chapter 1 without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.

A young couple's relaxing trip takes a terrifying turn when their car breaks down in a secluded, unsettling town. Seeking shelter in a remote cabin, they find themselves trapped and hunted by three mysterious strangers. As the strangers launch a brutal attack, the couple must fight for their lives and try to understand the motives behind this merciless pursuit.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • cabin in the woods
  • small town
  • home invasion
  • stranger
  • remote location
  • rural setting
  • oregon
  • vacation rental
  • road trip
  • slasher horror
  • stranger danger
  • number 1 in title
+38 more
  • scene during end credits
  • knocking on a door
  • cell phone
  • killed with an axe
  • power cut
  • murdered with an axe
  • digit in title
  • grindhouse film
  • shower scene
  • injured foot
  • crawlspace
  • knocked unconscious
  • drug use
  • third film in a series
  • axe struck through the door
  • bleeding to death
  • third in series
  • exploding motorcycle
  • dead chicken
  • threatened with a shotgun
  • masked assailant
  • missing person poster
  • running scared
  • twisted ankle
  • stabbed in the abdomen
  • shot in the face with a shotgun
  • car trouble
  • shot to death
  • human remains
  • running through the woods
  • 911 call
  • riding a motorcycle
  • stabbed to death
  • killed with a shotgun
  • asthma inhaler
  • fictional town
  • nail through hand
  • cigarette smoking
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Cast & crew

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Cast & Characters

Madelaine Petsch leads the cast as Maya, with Froy Gutierrez as Ryan and Ben Cartwright as Rudy. Directed by Renny Harlin; 20 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Strangers: Chapter 1

· 16 more
From the director

More from Renny Harlin

More films directed by Renny Harlin, best-rated first: Bodies at Rest, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Full filmography
Ratings

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Strangers: Chapter 1 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 4.7/10. Our Echo Score gives it 38/100, strongest in art & craft (50) and weakest in rewatch factor (30).

38 /100

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Echo Score Breakdown

The Strangers: Chapter 1 delivers a derivative continuation that fails to capture sustained tension. Despite competent craftsmanship and occasional effective suspense sequences, critics note a lack of originality and an overly familiar plotline. Performances bring some intensity but are undermined by thin character development. The visual style and sound design occasionally create atmosphere, but these moments are sporadic. The film’s cliffhanger ending hints at future payoff yet fails to compensate for its predictable narrative. Ultimately, this entry holds limited appeal beyond genre completists.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 50

    The film exhibits competent visual craft but stops short of distinct identity. In terms of cinematography and production design, the contained setting is well-realized with measured framing and occasional clever imagery. Editing maintains suspense in key moments but overall lacks innovation. The direction is workmanlike rather than distinctive, yielding solid yet unremarkable artistry.

  • Character & Emotion 45

    When it comes to character depth, the film struggles to develop emotional engagement. Reviews emphasize underdeveloped protagonists whose internal motivations remain vague, diminishing audience investment. While occasional performance moments bring tension, the characters lack distinctiveness beyond archetypal roles. Interpersonal chemistry surfaces sporadically but is insufficient to overcome the thinly written emotional landscape.

  • Story & Flow 30

    Regarding plot coherence and pacing, the narrative feels overly familiar and predictable. Critics note repetitive slasher tropes with little originality, and several scenes are criticized as generic or derivative. The pacing oscillates between slow buildup and abrupt violence, undermining engagement. The story contributes minimal new elements to the franchise, resulting in a fatigued execution.

  • Sensory Experience 45

    In terms of sensory experience, the film occasionally generates atmosphere but lacks consistent cohesion. Sound design provides some effective tension cues, yet the soundtrack remains generic. Visual style leverages a muted palette appropriate to the genre, but it seldom achieves striking or memorable imagery. Overall, the sensory elements support scene transitions without elevating the film’s impact.

  • Rewatch Factor 30

    When evaluating replay value, the film offers limited incentives for repeat viewings. The predictable narrative and underdeveloped characters diminish renewed engagement, and few sequences reveal additional depth on subsequent watches. While the contained setting retains a degree of tension, the overall experience lacks lingering intrigue. Consequently, this chapter holds minimal rewatch appeal beyond initial curiosity.

Plot

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Plot Summary & Ending Explained

What happens in The Strangers: Chapter 1 from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Maya and her boyfriend, Ryan, set off on a cross-country journey to celebrate their fifth anniversary, with plans for Maya to secure a job in Portland, Oregon. Their travels take an unexpected turn when they find themselves lost and stop in the quaint town of Venus, where they dine at a local diner. However, their experience quickly turns sour as the locals begin to disturb them, tensions mounting further when their car unexpectedly breaks down.

Full summary

The whole story of The Strangers: Chapter 1, scene by scene, with the ending explained

Read the full summary
Box office

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Box Office & Budget

The Strangers: Chapter 1 grossed $48.2 million worldwide on a $8.5 million budget, 5.7 times what it cost. $35.2 million came from the US and Canada and $13 million (27%) from the rest of the world.

2024 box office

Worldwide gross

$48.2M

5.7× its budget

US & Canada
$35.2M
International
$13M
Budget
$8.5M
US & Canada 73% Rest of the world 27%
Videos

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Trailers & Videos

4 videos: 1 trailer, 2 clips and 1 featurette.

Official Trailer
  • Clip Official Clip - ‘Knock, Knock’
  • Clip Official Clip - ‘Nail in Hand’
  • Featurette Madelaine Petsch Scares Influencers for The Strangers – Chapter 1 “Scarebnb Prank”
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Strangers: Chapter 1?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Where do Maya and Ryan find themselves stranded?

Details

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Also Known As

38 alternative titles, including “The Strangers: Part One” and “Los Extraños: Parte 1”.

Also known as
  • The Strangers: Part One
  • Los Extraños: Parte 1
  • Los Extraños: Parte Uno
  • Les Intrus: Chapitre 1
  • The Strangers - Chapter 1
  • غریبه‌ها: قسمت ۱
  • The Strangers 3
  • Los Extraños: Capítulo 1
  • 陌生人:第一章
  • Les Inconnus : Chapitre 1
  • The Strangers: Chapter One
  • Les Intrus
+26 more
  • Sát Nhân Giấu Mặt: Chương 1
  • Strangers: Capítulo 1, უცნობები: თავი პირველი
  • Незнакомцы: Начало
  • הזרים: חלק 1
  • Os Estranhos: Capítulo 1
  • Незнайомці: Частина перша
  • Cizinci: Kapitola 1
  • 스트레인저스: 챕터1
  • Hívatlanok – Első fejezet
  • Ziyaretçiler: Bölüm 1
  • เดอะ สเตรนเจอร์ส อำมหิตฆ่าไม่สน
  • Cudzinci: Kapitola 1
  • 嗜殺路人甲
  • Os Estranhos - Capítulo 1
  • Nepažįstamieji: Pirma dalis
  • Κλείδωσες; Οι Άγνωστοι
  • Stranci: Prvo poglavlje
  • The Strangers - Capitolo 1
  • Los Extraños Capítulo 1
  • Безликите: Глава първа
  • Qəriblər: Başlanğıc
  • Necunoscuții: Capitolul 1
  • 陌路狂殺:第一章
  • Tujci: Prvo poglavje
  • Strangers: Capítol 1
  • Svešinieki: 1.nodaļa

Seen The Strangers: Chapter 1?

FAQ

The Strangers: Chapter 1 FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Strangers: Chapter 1, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Strangers: Chapter 1?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 runs 1 hour 31 minutes (91 minutes).

When was The Strangers: Chapter 1 released?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released on May 17, 2024.

Who directed The Strangers: Chapter 1?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 was directed by Renny Harlin.

More films by Renny Harlin

Who is in the cast of The Strangers: Chapter 1?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 stars Madelaine Petsch as Maya, Froy Gutierrez as Ryan and Ben Cartwright as Rudy, among 20 credited actors.

How much did The Strangers: Chapter 1 make at the box office?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 grossed $48.2 million worldwide ($35.2 million domestic, $13 million international) on a budget of $8.5 million.

How is The Strangers: Chapter 1 rated?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 has 4.7/10 on IMDb, 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, 43 on Metacritic and 57% on TMDB.

Does The Strangers: Chapter 1 have a post-credit scene?

No. The Strangers: Chapter 1 has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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