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Created Jun 07, 2008 12:32PM PST • Edited Jun 07, 2008 12:33PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   The Strangers has brought scary back! Scary like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, scary like the original The Haunting, scary like Amy Winehouse! The beauty of this movie is it’s simplicity. Straightforward: two people are terrorized and tortured by three clearly insane people. No gratuitous gore and bloodshed, though it’s not squeaky clean either. The viewer is more commonly frightened by what they hear rather than what they see, which to me is what it’s all about. This one FREAKED ME OUT.

4. Acting

   Perfect 5.0

   Well played by everyone.

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

6. Female Stars Perfect 5.0

   Liv Tyler, snaps to you for having the foresight to change out of a bridesmaids dress and into more appropriate attire for scary chase scenes: flannel shirt and jeans… oh, and for keeping me terrified for your personal safety.

7. Female Costars Perfect 5.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    Sadly there’s no section here to rate the sound and foley artistry, because it was fantastic. I really like the way this was shot.

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

12. Play Perfect 5.0

13. Music Perfect 5.0

    What makes having killers in your house scarier? They play happy music on the record player when you’re out of the room.

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.5

17. Sex Innocent 1.5

    They were about to, but then doom knocked on the door.

18. Violence Savage 4.0

    Honestly, I don’t think what is SHOWN is too savage, it’s the INTENT of these killers that make everything worse.

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

    There are F bombs, but not in excess.

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

    As real as it gets, as real as I want to see.

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0