Day 2: The Strangers: Chapter 2 – Running on Empty and Nowhere to Go!
Huuuh. Let me start by blaming myself. I walked into the theater thinking The Strangers: Chapter 2 would somehow redeem the bland mess that was Chapter 1. Shame on me for having hope, right?
Before diving in, I did some digging so I would not sound biased. Turns out the Strangers franchise has always been hit or miss. Critics and fans have never exactly rolled out the red carpet, with Rotten Tomatoes leaving the entire thing at a shaky 50 percent. And honestly? I get it. That said, I still found some fun in the first entry of this new trilogy as a decent suspense and slasher. But Chapter 2? Lawd… let’s talk.
The movie jumps straight into chaos with chasing, running, and heavy breathing that never lets up. At first, I thought, “Okay, cool, adrenaline boost, let’s go.” But after a while, it was like, Sis, do something! You just watched your boyfriend get murdered. Revenge should be coursing through your veins like Red Bull and rage.
Instead, Madelaine Petsch kept running like a headless chicken. And look, I would probably be sprinting too if masked killers were on my tail. But at some point, I needed her to flip the script. Stop running. Start swinging.
Here’s the thing. Madelaine Petsch (yes, Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale) is usually a standout. Sharp, commanding, the one and not the two. But in this film? Whew. I do not know if it was the script, the directing, or just bad luck, but her performance never fully clicked for me.
The villains actually start off pretty intriguing. A group of psychopaths who kill just because they feel like it? That’s nightmare fuel on its own. Not knowing who they are or what drives them added to the unease, and I was here for it. But then the movie tried to get cute and tease us with a backstory for two of them, and it landed half-baked. Like, they tossed the idea in the oven and forgot to set the timer. I get that they are probably saving the big reveals for Chapter 3, but in the meantime the pacing, storytelling, and world-building all took a serious hit.
Besides Madelaine Petsch, I need to talk about Gabriel Basso (The Night Agent). My guy, what happened? Did you leave your acting chops at Netflix HQ? The energy, the depth, the intensity we know you can bring just didn’t make it onto this set. His character felt so generic and cookie-cutter, the classic angsty male stereotype we’ve seen a thousand times before. There was no spark, no weight, just hollow brooding.
And I’m calling it now: the movie clearly wants us to think he’s shady, maybe even one of the villains. But once Chapter 3 rolls around? I’m 99% sure he’ll pull the ol’ switcheroo and turn out to be the good guy who swoops in to help our main character. Predictable? Absolutely.
Also, there’s a scene where Madelaine’s character gets attacked by a boar, and honestly, it might be the moment that made me fully check out. The CGI looked cheap, and instead of being tense, it ended up being kind of laughable. Moments like that, combined with hollow characters and lazy storytelling, show just how little this sequel tried to deliver.
At the end of the day, The Strangers: Chapter 2 felt rushed. Like the studio just wanted to push something out and keep the franchise alive without actually caring about the story. Horror sequels are tricky, sure, but this one didn’t even try to break the mold.
If you ask me, I’d cancel chapter 3 entirely. Let’s bury this franchise and let it rest in peace before it drags itself further into mediocrity.
The fear doesn’t stop here. Tomorrow, it continues with Preshaa Creeps: 31 Nights of Fear. Check out the trailer below and follow us on all social media platforms.