The following contains spoilers for The Strangers: Chapter 1, now playing in theaters
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the latest entry in The Strangers horror franchise, and the post-credits sequence sets up the direction for the next two entries in the series. The film largely follows the template of 2008’s The Strangers, focusing on a couple as they try to avoid the grasp of a murderous trio of masked killers. This time it’s Maya and Ryan, whose cross-country trip is derailed when they have to spend the night in a remote AirBnB and find themselves hunted.
The ending of the movie is particularly blunt and bleak, but the post-credits sequence does set the stage for the rest of the modern Strangers trilogy. The brief tease for the next entries cements the protagonist of the new Strangers films and confirms they aren’t out of danger yet. While The Strangers: Chapter 1‘s story is relatively straightforward and self-contained, the revelations of the post-credits scene set the stage for the rest of the trilogy.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 does have a mid-credits scene, which helps set up the rest of the upcoming trilogy. It’s a relief, too, because the film otherwise ends on a very blunt and bleak note. After being hunted down by the Man in the Mask, Pin-Up Girl, and Dollface, Maya and Ryan for most of the film, the pair are captured and promptly stabbed by the villains in the gut. Despite Maya having called the police for assistance, the killers are able to just barely avoid detection and remain at large by the end of the film.
The ending of the movie is rather dark, with no clear hint of whether Maya or Ryan survived the encounter. However, the mid-credits scene confirms that at the very least, Maya survived the encounter. The scene reveals that Maya has been brought to a hospital to recuperate from her injuries, although there’s no clear indicator of how long she’s been unconscious. A card from her friends can be seen near her bed, confirming that her friends and family are aware of what’s happened to her. However, the final shot of the sequence reveals the Man in the Mask is still watching her.
Maya’s survival confirms that Madelaine Petsch’s character will be the driving force of the modern The Strangers trilogy. Director Renny Harlin has spoken about how the new trilogy was designed as a means of exploring the full fallout of surviving a gruesome event like the attack by the masked killers. While the first film was firmly rooted in Maya trying to survive, the subsequent sequels will likely explore her trauma — especially if Ryan didn’t survive his wounds.
However, the final shot confirms that Maya may be dealing with the Man in the Mask again sooner than she think. There are two potential interpretations of the Man in the Mask’s presence in her hospital room. It’s possible that the killer is really there, keeping an eye on her. This could suggest she’ll once again become a target of the killers, eschewing their typical random nature in pursuit of the one that got away. It’s also possible this is a more metaphorical reveal, with the Man in the Mask lingering around Maya’s subconscious.
Either option bodes poorly for Maya, but both also seem to confirm that Maya will be the focus character of The Strangers: Chapter 1. Madelaine Petsch is set to reprise the role, and the subsequent films will likely dive more into her doing her best to overcome the trauma of the situation she’s survived. The film also doesn’t explain the true nature of The Strangers‘ killers, even while teasing the suspicious nature of the small nearby town. This could mean those questions could be answered in the subsequent sequels, especially if Maya tries to uncover more about her attackers.
The sequels will likewise likely bring the distinctive three killers back together. Although the film’s apparent nature as a prologue to the previous The Strangers films (as the three murderers are killed in The Strangers: Prey at Night) means some of the inherent tensions have been undercut, Maya’s fate will likely be the driving force for the rest of the trilogy. …-credits scene to The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a big step towards a potentially introspective exploration of the slasher genre, and confirms who audiences will be following in that story.