Does The Strangers: Chapter 2 Have 4 Killers Now?

The Strangers: Chapter 2 teaser creates a lot of confusion regarding the killers’ identities, and how many there are. Renny Harlin promises to answer the mysteries of the 2008 home invasion movie while maintaining its popular premise. The Strangers: Chapter 1 offered a beat-by-beat remake of Bryan Bertino’s classic, centering on a couple stalked and terrorized by three strangers known as Scarecrow, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl. The Strangers: Chapter 1‘s characters find themselves in slightly different circumstances than those from the original, a change that suggests the director is interested in taking the franchise in a completely different direction.

While The Strangers merely focused on the secluded house and not its surrounding area, Harlin extends the danger zone to a creepy small town called Venus, Oregon. The town’s characters acquire a larger role, as their early hostility toward the couple hints at a larger conspiracy behind the killings. Everyone on-screen becomes a suspect, adding a layer of mystery that Bertino’s movie didn’t have. The Strangers: Chapter 2 teaser plays off of Chapter 1’s “whodunnit” suspense, introducing the possible townspeople behind the masks. Except, this time, there are two Scarecrows in addition to the two women killers, Dollface and Pin-Up.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 Teases 4 Killers Going After Maya

The Strangers: Chapter 2 Sets Maya Against A Whole Town Of Suspects

The teaser for The Strangers: Chapter 2 exploits the eerie townsfolk from Harlin’s first installment by having four strangers pick up Maya after she escapes from the hospital — where she was healing from the brutal attack at the end of The Strangers: Chapter 1. The intense glares and suspicious elements from the group heavily suggest Maya has gotten in the car with the killers themselves. If that is true, Harlin’s sequel features not only one Scarecrow but two, subverting the successful three killer formula and creating the possibility that there are more killers to be wary of.

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, Madelaine Petsch’s Maya and Froy Gutierrez’s Ryan stopped to eat at Venus on their way to Portland. As the characters entered the town’s diner, their luck faded. Their car broke down and the hostile town inhabitants were suspiciously ready to help, directing the couple to a garage and a supposed Airbnb. Afterward, three strangers attacked Maya and Ryan at their place of stay. Accordingly, a mystery at the heart of The Strangers: Chapter 1 is whether the town is complicit and, if they are, which of the townspeople are the masked killers.

Having four killers instead of three changes the rules of The Strangers franchise and extends the list of suspicious characters. The fact that the strangers in the teaser are notably absent from Harlin’s first installment further complicates Maya’s chances of figuring out who’s behind the attack. The Strangers: Chapter 2 promises a town conspiracy that the Final Girl will have to expose as she tries to stay alive. To make matters worse, there are now two of the strongest masked killers, since Maya is up against two Scarecrows instead of one.

Could The Strangers: Chapter 2 Finally Introduce Tamara?

Chapter 2 Will Explain The Origin Of The Strangers In The Town Of Venus

One of the things that made Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film become a horror hit was the mystery behind the three killers’ motives, or rather, the fact that they seemed to have none. Renny Harlin is clearly taking the franchise in a different direction. As he has expressed, The Strangers trilogy will answer the original‘s biggest mysteries, finally revealing the faces behind the creepy masks and their reasons for killing. Not only will the new chapter bring double the threats, but it also promises to explain the psychology behind the strangers and the origin of their playful killing rituals.

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The Strangers 2 Already Has A Massive Problem After Chapter 1’s Cliffhanger Ending

Although The Strangers: Chapter 1’s ending works fine, the twist does effectively give away the ending of The Strangers: Chapter 2’s planned plot.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 teaser shows the new installment will address one of the most unsettling moments of the franchise, as it ends with a little girl asking for Tamara. This hints that the new movie will finally introduce who Tamara is, and why the killers always ask for her. Harlin’s trilogy is set to explore the killers’ past in the town of Venus and feature the key characters that inspired Scarecrow, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl. Coupled with the apparent change in killer numbers, this promises an exciting new development for the series.