Summary

• The Strangers: Chapter 1 series will delve into the enigmatic killers known as Dollface, Man in the Mask, and Pin-Up Girl.
• Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch stars in and produces The Strangers: Chapter 1, setting up a larger story for sequels and potential exploration of PTSD.
• The psychological horror film uses tension over explicit violence, making viewers feel like they're living in real time with the characters.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 follows Maya and Ryan, a young couple moving across the country to start a new life together. While on their road trip, their car breaks down, forcing them to spend the night in an isolated cabin in Venus, Oregon. However, while at the cabin, three masked strangers with dark intent intend to spend a bloody night terrorizing the couple.

Part of what makes the story of The Strangers so terrifying is the senselessness on top of the violence of the crimes, and it seems The Strangers: Chapter 1 will lean into this as well. But based on the trailer, it seems more will be revealed about the enigmatic killers known only as Dollface, the Man in the Mask, and Pin-Up Girl. Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch not only leads the cast as the star of The Strangers: Chapter 1 but also leads behind the scenes as a producer, with Renny Harlin helming the movie as director.

Screen Rant interviewed The Strangers: Chapter 1 stars Froy Gutierrez and Madelaine Petsch. Gutierrez discussed the relationship between their characters, leaning into the slowburn tension, and how he watched the original movie. Petsch explained why this is one of her favorite horror movies, how this sets up a larger story for the sequels, and how her Riverdale character might fare in The Strangers: Chapter 1.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Stars On Their Experience With The Original Movie

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the start of a larger story with two sequels, but it is also a retelling of the original movie that was released in 2008. Petsch and Gutierrez shared their experiences with the original film, including how it forces audiences to lean in and pay attention.

Froy Gutierrez: I didn't actually watch the original film with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman until I'd actually booked this role. So I got to watch it with some friends in a living room, and we were in this creaky house, and it was very spooky. The performances were so good, and the ambience was so good.

What really stood out to me watching it was how much you pay attention to what's happening on screen, where you're focused on Liv Tyler and when you're focused on the characters, but also it trains you to pay attention to what's not happening directly on screen.

Seeing Scarecrow right behind Liv Tyler in the kitchen and things like that where it was like, oh no, I have to be more engaged as an audience member. That's what I loved about watching the 2008 version. That's what I love about horror in general as a genre.

Madelaine Petsch: So when I was 13, I made it my mission to watch every horror film at my local blockbuster. And so when this came to DVD and was in my local blockbuster around 14 years old, I watched it at home alone. I've said this a hundred times, even before I made these movies.

That was my favorite scary movie of all time. It really was. It's one of those things where nothing really scares me in scary movies except for hyperrealism and this feels like it could actually happen.

Set us up Froy, tell us a little bit about the dynamic between Maya and Ryan in this film.

Froy Gutierrez: Maya and Ryan are a really solid couple of five years. They're long term, they're in it together, and they've had some communication issues at the front of the movie that they're sorting out throughout the film, but they also share a secret language. They share a sense of humor. They know each other better than anyone else in the world, and they have such a deep love in longing for each other. And so it was just important to really play that and make sure that felt palpable across the screen.

Madelaine Petsch Wants To "Tell A Much Larger Story" With The Strangers

Part of what is so intriguing about the new trilogy is how it will pick up the story after the events of The Strangers: Chapter 1. While this is a retelling of sorts, there will likely be new twists and turns to scare and delight fans of the original, but it also lends itself to potentially exploring ideas of PTSD or even revenge. While Petsch is keeping details close to the vest, she does tease why fans should be excited about the sequel.

Madelaine Petsch: I always look at this first film as a launchpad. We are retelling the original 2008 version with a new set of characters in a whole new universe, but with the same characters that you love, in order to tell a much larger story of what happens once Liv Tyler's eyes open at the end of the 2008 version.

It's interesting because when you go back and rewatch one, after you watch two and three, you'll see the connections that are made between Maya and the strangers that we've kind of built into movie one after she's pushed beyond her breaking point, time and time and time again. The kind of centrifugal question of her character is who is she left with?

The original film had a very minimalistic approach, often relying on tension rather than explicit violence. Can you talk about how The Strangers: Chapter One uses that same kind of aspect?

Froy Gutierrez: I think it's such an important part of this genre of filmand of this franchise in general, is really allowing it to feel like it's ing in real time almost. You're in the cabin with them and you're hearing each creek, you're hearing each knock on the door, you're hearing each step. I think that's something that Renny, Courtney, and [Maedline] were very much wanting to keep in the film. I mean, as a producer, what do you think about that?

Madelaine Petsch: I think it was really important to feel like you were living with the characters in those moments.

Madelaine Petsch Shares Her Thoughts On How Cheryl Blossom Would Fare In This World

Petsch's most iconic character, Riverdale's Cheryl Blossom, has her own experiences with horrific trauma throughout the run of the series. She shared how she thought Cheryl would handle the events of The Strangers: Chapter 1.

Madelaine Petsch: It depends on what season we're talking about. Is she a witch this season or not? If she's a witch, she's just zapping them. No witch, she wouldn't do well. She'd break a nail and be upset and then she'd be pissed at them. And honestly, she maybe would kill them. I think maybe movie one, Cheryl Blossom would just get 'em out. That's a tough bitch right there.

About The Strangers: Chapter 1

After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.

Check out our other The Strangers: Chapter 1 here:

• Renny Harlin
• Courtney Solomon

The Strangers: Chapter 1 hits theaters on May 17.

Source: Screen Rant Plus