Is The Strangers Based on a True Story? What Makes the Movie Different?

By David Hill On May 22, 2024

After watching The Strangers movies, you may question if they are based on genuine events. The films’ depictions of random fear seem fanciful. Surely no one would intimidate, torture, or murder random individuals for the joy of it, right? We’ll look into the inspiration for The Strangers and see if anything similar happened in real life.

Did The Strangers Happen in Real Life?

While not strictly based on a true story, The Strangers is not. Conversely, analogous incidents have transpired in the physical world. Bryan Bertino, the screenwriter of the original Strangers film, was profoundly impacted by the Tate murders, which occurred in 1969 and were committed by individuals affiliated with the Manson family.

Bertino stated that he drew inspiration for the screenplay from the Tate murders, which featured detailed descriptions from the murderers’ perspective that portrayed a picture of a group that stalked and murdered individuals who had no idea who the Manson family was or why they had been singled out.

With this in mind, Bertino desired to recount the victim’s story in its most candid form. James and Kristen are unaware of the identity of their stalkers when they are terrorized by the Man in the Mask, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl in The Strangers.

The film’s most horrifying element is that there is no investigation that explains why the murderers committed their crimes. It is completely random, anonymous, and without cause.

In addition to the Tate murders, other arbitrary homicides redolent of The Strangers have occurred. Particularly prevalent in the United States between the 1960s and 1980s were numerous serial killers who selected their victims wholly or partially at random.

The incidence of (reported) serial murderers has decreased substantially since the 2000s; therefore, it is statistically less probable that you will encounter a circumstance comparable to that depicted in The Strangers. Nevertheless, occurrences of arbitrary home intrusions, tortures, and murders persist, proving that the film’s premise is not as implausible as one might assume.

What Makes This New Strangers Different?

While the first film, Chapter 1, will be a reproduction of the original, two sequels are already scheduled to follow. This is where the franchise will deviate from what fans know.

Many people are skeptical of Chapters 2 and 3, which promise to go into who the Strangers are and why they do what they do. Whether you like it or not, that exploration contradicts the original film’s premise of random people with no motivation or connection to their actions.

Hopefully, the new movie will realize the studios’ lofty expectations and dreams for the franchise. After all, they are releasing all three in the same year.