Starring Riverdale‘s Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez (Cruel Summer), The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the third installment in the long-running horror film series. Creator Bryan Bertino envisions Chapter 1 as a prequel to the 2008 cult hit The Strangers and its 2018 sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night. In the latest installment, a couple (Petsch and Gutierrez) are terrorized by three masked psychopathic killers while on a road trip. For fans of the series, the premise likely sounds incredibly familiar to the first-ever Strangers film, which sees another vacationing couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) tormented.
A sleeper hit, The Strangers elevates its slasher premise. Even now, the movie has a cult following, which is why it received a follow-up an entire decade after its debut. Set in Ohio, the underrated Strangers prequel centers on a family who take a vacation to a relative’s home in a secluded trailer park. The teenage kids aren’t too thrilled by the getaway — a feeling that’s completely justified once the three masked killers appear. Despite mixed reviews, the film’s box office draw spawned Chapter 1, making it the perfect time to watch Strangers and Prey at Night.
For viewers who are looking to indulge in the lambs-to-the-slaughter thrill ride that is The Strangers and its sequel, Max is the platform to subscribe to as of May 2024. Both The Strangers and The Strangers: Prey at Night are streaming exclusively on Max. The thrilling homages to ’80s-style slashers might not boast the best reviews, but both are well worth the watch for horror fans and franchise completionists. Although Strangers: Chapter 1 is a reboot-meets-prequel, the characters of Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl appear in every Strangers film.
Although it’s also the first in a standalone Strangers trilogy, The Strangers: Chapter 1 boasts enough connective tissue with the previous installments to make a complete series rewatch a must. Formerly known as HBO Max, Max hosts iconic TV series from HBO and Discovery, Warner Bros. Discovery’s pantheon of films, and its own original content. As of 2024, viewers can subscribe to Max at one of three tiers — Max with Ads, Max Ad-Free, or Max Ultimate Ad-Free — or by bundling it as an add-on with their cable or other streaming platform package.
Although Max makes screenings easy for potential The Strangers audiences, viewers can opt to rent or buy both Strangers films from a variety of platforms. The classic 2008 film is available to rent or buy on seven different platforms, from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV to Fandango at Home, with prices ranging from $3.99 for rentals to $14.99 for purchases. The Strangers: Prey at Night isn’t as widely available as its predecessor, making it more challenging for those who only want to know how The Strangers 2 unmasks and kills Dollface ahead of The Strangers: Chapter 1.