THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT
Derivative, violent horror that finds suspense when a family fights back.
Should You Watch It?
This is a derivative slasher that improves when its threatened family stops acting like sitting ducks and starts fighting back. The second half becomes more captivating, exciting, and suspenseful, and the rebellious daughter’s struggle ultimately points toward learning not to take her family’s love for granted.
But that small measure of heroism comes wrapped in extreme, bloody, personal violence. The movie depicts deadly retribution in a way that may encourage some viewers to copy the violence, and the victims clearly enjoy dishing it out. It also contains about 28 obscenities, including roughly 14 or more “f” words, one Jesus profanity, and four light profanities.
You may find some suspense here, but this is better watched at home, by discerning adults only, where you can control the experience.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESMike and Cindy arrange a short vacation at a lake resort for their teenage children, Kinsey and Luke, before the two go off to boarding school and college. Kinsey is rebellious and unhappy about being sent away, leaving the family emotionally estranged.
At the resort, three masked stalkers begin hunting the family. One carries an ax. Two carry knives. The family must decide whether it will remain divided or fight together to survive.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this movie has some effective moments but falls well short of being a satisfying whole. Its first half is depressing, annoying, and slow-moving, with family members behaving more like helpless targets than heroes.
The second half is more interesting, exciting, and suspenseful because the family begins fighting back. The movie also uses the style and music of 1980s horror films, especially Halloween, while mimicking films such as Friday the 13th. Those choices make the film recognizable, but also rather derivative.
The Worldview
The film presents a light moral, redemptive worldview mixed with some humanism and Romanticism. Its three masked killers are nihilistic, while the family begins estranged from one another. Kinsey wants the freedom to do what she wants and behaves rebelliously, but her battle against the killers helps her learn that she should not take her family for granted.
The movie also emphasizes family members risking their lives for one another. That is the clearest moral strength in the story. However, its extreme violence is treated in troubling ways: when victims finally deliver deadly retribution, they clearly enjoy it. One killer answers the question of why they are murdering people with, “Why not?” The film recognizes family loyalty but does not offer a satisfying moral answer to nihilistic violence.
The story’s central longing is for a family to recover love and loyalty before it is too late. Scripture likewise calls people to care for their families: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Light moral, redemptive worldview mixed with some humanism and some Romanticism about three young, nihilistic masked killers trying to murder a family of four who have grown estranged from one another, plus the teenage daughter is somewhat rebellious and wants to be free to do what she wants but she learns her lesson, learning that she shouldn’t have taken her family for granted or acted so badly and the family members risk their lives for one another
Foul Language
28 obscenities (about half or so are “f” words), one Jesus profanity and four light profanities
Violence
Extreme scary violent throughout with a fair amount of blood and some strong scary violence includes bloody corpse in the dark, bloody stabbings, villain is severely burned after car explodes, girl’s hands covered in blood after she’s stabbed in the leg, car crash ends with man being impaled by a long object, man is still alive but then is stabbed to death, scary people invade a married couple’s home, blood pools under a stabbing victim who fell in a pool and who tries to keep his head above water to breathe, killer and intended victim fight, police officer’s throat is slit, killer swings ax at teenage boy several times but misses, etc.
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Rebellious teenage girl smokes two or three times;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Teenage rebellion, teenagers trade insults, teenage daughter is estranged emotionally from parents, she’s also rude and sullen, but seems to learn her lesson.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Kinsey begins the film estranged from her family but learns not to take them for granted. What helps people recognize love they have been ignoring?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · 1 John 4:7–8The family members risk their lives for one another. What does sacrificial love look like in ordinary family life?
John 15:13 · Philippians 2:3–4The killers’ answer to why they murder is, “Why not?” How does a biblical worldview answer the idea that life has no purpose or moral boundaries?
Genesis 1:27 · Psalm 139:13–16The movie shows deadly retribution becoming something the victims enjoy. What is the difference between justice and taking pleasure in revenge?
Romans 12:19–21 · Micah 6:8The Final Word
The Strangers: Prey at Night becomes suspenseful when its family fights back, but its derivative story cannot overcome its extreme violence and excessive foul language. If you choose to watch, keep it to discerning adults at home. WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For other options, see.
