Amidst several releases this month, The Strangers: Chapter 1 certainly emerged as an unexpected contender. It is, in fact, one of the films people expected to shine the least, and yet the opposite is true. Despite initial skepticism, the film’s robust opening day performance signifies a promising start, capturing audience attention and defying expectations.
While dealing with a lot of criticism and mixed reviews, it now seems that it is steering steadily forward on a path of potential success. The film’s surprising success has undoubtedly left some fans shocked, especially considering its competition in the race for the box office, which includes John Krasinski’s brainchild, IF, and the already-running Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the Ryan Gosling starrer, The Fall Guys.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 Makes a Strong Start at the Box Office
Raking in $5.1 million on its domestic opening day, Lionsgate’s reboot The Strangers: Chapter 1 exceeded expectations by a significant margin as per Variety. This performance solidified its position in the box office race, showcasing a strong start for the film.
Additionally, with a modest production cost of $8.5 million, the film’s impressive debut highlights its potential for becoming a profitable venture. Despite mixed critical reception, evidenced by its CinemaScore of C, a standard for horror movies, and a 44% RT audience score, the movie is doing quite well.
In fact, after two weekends in theaters, the movie is set to reach a cumulative domestic gross of $22.7 million. Surpassing the $20 million mark, the film now holds the position of the fourth highest-grossing domestic horror movie of 2024.
The movie is the latest installment in the highly successful American horror franchise, following in the footsteps of its predecessors. Directed by Renny Harlin and featuring Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez, this third entry in the series hit theaters worldwide on May 17.
This is believed to be the first film in a new trilogy, The Strangers: Chapter 1, serving as a prequel to the original. There are also plans for sequels as Chapter 2 is slated for release later this year, alongside the promise of Chapter 3.
What to Expect from The Strangers: Chapter 1?
As a typical horror movie goes, in the movie, viewers are introduced to Maya and Ryan, a couple stranded in a remote cabin due to car troubles. However, their night takes a terrifying turn when they are targeted by three masked intruders. The twists this movie has to offer certainly make this installment stand out from the rest.
As the chilling events unfold, the couple deals with whether the violence they face is random or part of a larger conspiracy. By the film’s end, many questions remain unanswered, including whether it serves as a prequel or exists within the same universe as previous films.
To give credit where it is due The Strangers: Chapter 1 offers a breath of fresh air by maintaining the mystery surrounding its villains. Even with a story credit attributed to Bertino, the filmmakers resist the urge to delve into the backstory of the Strangers that haunts the universe.
To provide them with origins or identities would undermine the very essence of the premise. While Chapter 1 occasionally feels like a bore, it suggests that the franchise still holds untapped potential.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is now playing in theaters.
