The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
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.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 31m (91 min)
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Genre
- Horror
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Fifth Element Productions
- Budget
- $8.5M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
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 Show fewer
- 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
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.
-
Director Renny Harlin
-
Madelaine Petsch as Maya -
Froy Gutierrez as Ryan - Ben Cartwright as Rudy
- Matus Lajcak as Scarecrow Double
Also Starring in The Strangers: Chapter 1
· 16 more- Olivia Kreutzova Dollface Double
- Letizia Fabbri Pin-Up Double
- Richard Brake Sheriff Rotter
- Janis Ahern Carol
- Ema Horvath Shelly
- Rachel Shenton Debbie
- Pedro Leandro Deputy Walters
- Ryan Bown Jeff Morell
- Sara Freedland Annie
- Rebecka Johnston Lucy
- Stevee Davies Dougie
- Pablo Sandstrom Neil
- William Lee Rayner Cook
- Rafaella Biscayn Eden
- Alexander Markland Boy #1
- Dominic Kotúc Boy #2
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.
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).
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.
-
IMDb 4.7 /10
30089 votes
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 21% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 45%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 43 Metascore
User score 4.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 57% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 1.9 /5
194833 ratings
See on Letterboxd
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
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.
Worldwide gross
$48.2M
5.7× its budget
- US & Canada
- $35.2M
- International
- $13M
- Budget
- $8.5M
The Strangers: Chapter 1 Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 1 trailer, 2 clips and 1 featurette.
- Clip Official Clip - ‘Knock, Knock’
- Clip Official Clip - ‘Nail in Hand’
- Featurette Madelaine Petsch Scares Influencers for The Strangers – Chapter 1 “Scarebnb Prank”
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
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Where do Maya and Ryan find themselves stranded?
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 Show fewer
- 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?
Movies Like The Strangers: Chapter 1
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Strangers, The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Prey at Night.
-
The Strangers 2008 -
The Strangers: Chapter 2 2025 -
The Strangers: Prey at Night 2018 -
Strangers Within 2017 -
Stranger in Our House 1978 -
The Strangers 1969 -
Knock at the Cabin 2023 -
The Cabin in the Woods 2012 -
A Stranger in the Woods 2024 -
When a Stranger Calls 2006 -
When a Stranger Calls 1979 -
All the Kind Strangers 1974
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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