"The Strangers" (2008)

Re-watched "The Strangers" (2008) for the first time since seeing it in theaters. I remember being very critical of it at the time, praising the film for it's build up in the first half, but slamming it for prolonging the inevitable in the second half just to pad out the film. Watching it again now (and with my teen daughter for her first time), I enjoyed the film much more the second time around, as this time I found the pacing and the overall atmosphere to be much better than I remembered. I think previously I wasn't appreciative of the fact that the "strangers" in this film were deliberately toying with their victims and deriving much pleasure from it (much like Michael Myers did in the original "Halloween", which was something that was lost in most of the sequels), which in itself is unnerving. I also think that because I had already seen the French film "Them" (which is identical in plot and almost flawless in it's execution) I was constantly comparing the two and found "The Strangers" wanting. This time out I was able to enjoy it on it's own merits and think it to be a film that stands the test of time, even if it's not exactly perfect in everything it sets out to do (though I should note it did scare the shit out of my daughter, who announced she's never staying home alone again afterwards. LOL). 8 out of 10 for me.