The Strangers – Chapter 2 review: Madelaine Petsch elevates middling horror sequel

Renny Harlin is no stranger (pun intended) to high-octane horror-thrillers, and he delivers in The Strangers – Chapter 2, a relentless slasher that wastes no time picking up where the first left off. It’s a brutal, entertaining sequel, even if substance is in short supply. 

The Strangers franchise started with Bryan Bertino’s divisive 2008 original (IMO one of the best horror movies of all time), which strips the home invasion subgenre down to its scariest, simplest form. Its tagline, “Because you were home,” cements the killers’ randomness as their most sinister trait. 

When Harlin announced he’d be directing three Strangers films back-to-back, it raised the question: could this really work as a trilogy, or is it a one-and-done job? The issue is that Chapter 1, although an effective slasher, certainly felt like a lesser reimagining of its predecessor.

Chapter 2 is a direct continuation rather than a new story, but it at least breaks free from the original formula. This time, it’s all about the final girl’s fight for survival. 

What is The Strangers – Chapter 2 about?

The new movie opens in a similar way to The Strangers that came before it, grounding fictional events with a sinister statistic: “In 2023, 1,670 people in the US were killed by strangers.”

Following a reminder of the mysterious Tamara, Chapter 2 picks up where Chapter 1 left off. Maya (Madelaine Petsch) wakes in hospital, bloodied but not broken, only to find the Strangers aren’t done with her. 

Dollface, Pin-Up Girl, and the Man in the Mask remain bloodthirsty – and they’re relentless. What follows is essentially a feature-length cat-and-mouse game, as Maya is chased through morgues, cabins, and dimly lit back woodlands, with the Strangers popping up as if they have a teleporter.

Though the opening statistic seeks to remind audiences of the brutal reality behind random attacks, the Strangers here feel more supernatural than ever; the Michael Myers of the Pacific Northwest.

Harlin injects backstory through flashbacks, peeling away the mask (pun intended, again) on two of the killers. Without giving away spoilers, the glimpses into their pasts are grotesque and hyperbolic. If the film had a grainy look, it could almost fall into grindhouse territory. 

Ultimately, the decision to go into the killers’ lore is a huge gamble: some of you will appreciate the added mythology, others may stand by the view that the mystery and mindlessness of the violence is what makes it scary. 

Madelaine Petsch shines as final girl Maya

Lionsgate

Just like the first entry, Harlin’s fingerprints are all over The Strangers – Chapter 2. The cinematography is polished and sleek, even when jumping between shots of small-town America and busted interiors. 

For better or worse, the brutality is ramped up in round two. The gore is at its best when focusing on Maya’s personal struggle, making good use of practical effects. The CGI, on the other hand, doesn’t fare as well, especially when the rest of the movie looks so sleek (one scene in particular is bordering on comical). 

On the topic of Maya, The Strangers – Chapter 2 is really about her journey, and Petsch anchors the chaos with another impeccable performance. She’s more than a scream queen, she’s a final girl in every sense of the term. 

Her resilience and sheer exhaustion feel painfully real thanks to Petsch’s range, even when the script hurls increasingly implausible scenarios her way. 

Pacing problems and horror déjà vu

Lionsgate

For all its strengths, Chapter 2 feels jarringly one-note, with a majority of its runtime feeling like a single extended chase sequence with few tonal shifts. Much like the first chapter, this sequel races from set piece to set piece with little downtime, making it difficult to build any sense of dread. 

There are subplots – incompetent detectives, indifferent townsfolk, “friends” who are impossible to trust – yet they rarely develop beyond cliché. A potential red-herring character provides some tension but ultimately fizzles out. 

The narrative momentum is less about story and more about stringing together kill-or-be-killed encounters. As for the ending, much like its predecessor, Chapter 2 closes with another frustrating cliffhanger that teases Chapter 3 (set for release in 2026). 

If you didn’t like the “to be continued” device at the end of the first film, well, this is your warning. It’s a middle chapter that keeps the wheels spinning, even if it rarely changes gears.

The Strangers – Chapter 2 score: 3/5

The Strangers – Chapter 2 is a brutal, beautifully shot slasher with a solid final girl performance. But it’s also repetitive and thinly plotted, more interested in relentless pursuit than building fresh terror.

Does it break the mold in the horror movie realm? Absolutely not. But if you’re a fan of Chapter 1, there’s enough here – gore, atmosphere, backstory – to keep you entertained for its tight 96-minute runtime. 

The Strangers – Chapter 2 is in cinemas from September 26, 2025. In the meantime, check out the new movies streaming this month and the scariest horrors based on true stories.