Review by Matt Boiselle: THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3 - THESE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE I WANT TO KNOW ANYMORE

Okay, call me a glutton for punishment - heck, you can even call me a punching bag when it comes to my horror movie choices. It breaks down like this: I watch a film, then I rip on said production if it doesn't tickle me down to my marrow, then I take to the review sites and unleash a venomous dosage of vitriol sizeable enough to take down a pachyderm on anabolic steroids...then giddily wait for the sequel to be unleashed, then buy a ticket to that sequel, and "lather, rinse & repeat.' It's a never-ending vicious cycle that I spin in my existence, but to be honest with you, for ANY OTHER GENRE, it just wouldn't work for me. 

 So here we are at the doorstep of the (original?) trilogy and somewhat colossal letdown known as THE STRANGERS, with this being the third and final chapter into the storyline that focuses on a group of stalk-ish miscreants who simply love to torment outsiders to their surroundings and slay them without reproach - no muss, no fuss. It's quite safe to say that this franchise, or what's left of it has clearly run aground with no rescue point in sight - shot all in connection, this triad of disappointment does nothing to shed any new light on an otherwise dull and heinously blueprinted story that even the most oblivious of viewer could piece together with broken string.

While Director Renny Harlin was saddled with making these films on a microscopic allocation of funds, that still isn't a feasible enough excuse for what was slapped on the big screen over three separate presentations, and this is coming from a guy who absolutely loved the first 2 films (THE STRANGERS & PREY AT NIGHT) - hey, like I said I'm a pig when it comes to fresh horror slop. 

The 2nd film relied heavily on some flashbacks to further ensure our antagonists' troubled history was cemented in our brains, and it did have its merits, generally to set the framework for some demented mind-structuring, but as we flopped into CHAPTER 3, the story simply limped along and we as a collective audience were dragged along for a rather uneventful ride in the back of that janky old pickup truck.

All of our major players have returned, including Richard Brake stealing the show as the internally creepy town sheriff, Gabriel Basso as the incredibly unlikable Gregory, and Madelaine Petsch doing her best to steer clear of THE STRANGERS' homicidal tidings, and while the performances weren't lifeless, they seemed at this point to be simplified and static to an extent...kinda like watching that sloth trying to climb up that tree...for HOURS. 

All in all, THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3 represents best what was and was what never should have been done, but now that it's (hopefully) come to a close. we all can move onto whatever franchise we feel needs to be shredded mercilessly before we spend the money on another ticket to eyeball the latest installment. Say it loud & proud, my fellow horror lovin' minions: "Thank you sir, may I have another??"