How Scary Is The Strangers: Chapter 1? It's R-Rating Explained

The following contains light spoilers for The Strangers: Chapter 1

Summary The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the start of a new trilogy explaining the history of mysterious killers.

The film relies more on suspense than gore, making it a tense thriller rather than a gorefest.

The violent scenes are relatively reserved, focusing more on the tension and threat of violence instead.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the latest entry in The Strangers series and earned a similar R-rating to the prior two films in the franchise. All three films focus on a trio of mysterious and largely unknown killers, who stalk average settings to hunt down and try to kill otherwise innocent and unconnected people. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the beginning of a new trilogy, which is set to explain the history of the villains and the fallout of their actions.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is functionally similar to 2008's The Strangers, which starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as the couple in danger. This time around, it's Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez who find themselves hunted down by the Man in the Mask, Pin-Up Girl, and Dollface. More than anything, The Strangers: Chapter 1's story is more of a tense thriller than a grisly gorefest, which should help determine whether parents are willing to let their kids see the film.

Related The Strangers: Chapter 1's Big Twist Follows A Fallen Horror Franchise Down A Dark Path The Strangers: Chapter 1's trailer implies that the reboot will utilize a horror trope that badly derailed an earlier '00s horror re-imagining.

The Strangers: Chapter 1' R-Rating Explained: Violence, Language, & Drugs

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Earns Its R-Rating

The Strangers: Chapter 1 earns its R-rating with a decent bit of violence, language, and minor drug use, but it's far from the goriest or most coarse horror film out this year. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is largely focused on Maya and her boyfriend Ryan trying to avoid three mysterious masked killers who break into a cabin they're staying in. The killers are shown to be particularly cruel, treating the hunt as a game more than anything. However, the film relies far more on suspense than overt blood and guts.

While there is some blood in the film (and one particularly grisly but brief death in the film), most of the blood is relatively reserved compared to other modern horror films. This same level of relative restraint is seen in the film's portrayal of cursing and drugs. The film does contain some cursing from the main characters, but it's not an overly coarse script. Likewise, one character smokes marijuana at one point, but it's a brief scene that is largely used to ratchet up tension.

How Scary The Strangers: Chapter 1 Is Compared To The Original 2008 Movie

Less Is More In The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is very similar to 2008's The Strangers in terms of tone and style. Both films rely heavily on an ever-present sense of dread and tension to amplify the horror. The Strangers and The Strangers: Chapter 1 largely follow the same general story, focusing on a trio of masked killers who hunt a couple through an average house. This sense of tension occasionally breaks when one of the killers attacks.

The horror in the film stems from the ever-present danger of being found out, with Maya and Ryan doing their best to constantly the grasp of the trio. This is very similar to the overall tone of the original version of The Strangers. The film is most effective in these moments and largely eschews jump-scares and gory murders in lieu of building on the natural tension behind the concept.

Related Is The Strangers: Chapter 1 A Remake Or Reboot? It's Complicated The new film in the psychological horror series is the first of three new The Strangers films coming out in 2024, with the first one coming in May.

How Violent The Strangers: Chapter 1 Is Compared To The 2008 Movie

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Is About As Violent As The Original

Close

The Strangers: Chapter 1 relies far more on tension than violence for its scares. Instead, it's the potential for violence that often proves to be the most effective means of scaring the characters in-universe and the audience in real life. That doesn't mean there aren't violent beats. However, most of the deaths in the film occur off-screen, with the audience then being shown the aftermath to underscore the seriousness of the situation.

The bloodiest scenes are relatively quick, although they are still brutal in their own right. The real tension from The Strangers as a whole stems from the grounded perspective and elements of the story, with the plot's inspiration being real-life crimes. As a result, the film doesn't rely on too much violence to get its point across. While it's still a violent movie, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is far more frightening for the constant threat of violent at the heart of the story.

A Parent's Guide To The Strangers: Chapter 1

It's Not Suitable For Children

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

While The Strangers: Chapter 1 isn't the most gory or sexual horror film out there, it's still rated R for a reason. The film's tone becomes intense at times, and the violence, drugs, and sexual references that are in the film would prevent it from being PG-13. That being said, it's not necessarily a Hard-R horror film, like other recent horror films like the gory Abigail or the overtly sexual horror trilogy from director Ti West.

More than anything, the underlying tension and real-world approach to The Strangers: Chapter 1 is what makes it particularly frightening, and could leave children scared of the simple act of being at home. Parents of young children should avoid The Strangers: Chapter 1 with their kids. However, there's not much in the film that teenagers wouldn't see in a PG-13 horror film, just amplified by the freedom afforded with an R-rating. The Strangers: Chapter 1 may not be suitable for children, but teenagers and adults who love a good tense horror film will find plenty to like in the film.