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Usually on the third instalment is where things begin to fall flat, well there or even the second. Yet somehow, after two films that were not stellar, and maybe a little jumbled, the final act brought out so much more for the franchise.
Back in 2024, The Strangers: Chapter 1 released in cinemas. Bringing a rebooted version of the original American psychological horror films The Strangers (2008, 2018), created by Bryan Bertino. Sometimes noted as a continuation of the series after the 2018 film, The Strangers: Prey at Night is easier to consider it a reboot. Since the original in 2008, there have always been contradictory thoughts surrounding the films, so it only makes sense that the fifth film continues this.
WATCH: Our Exclusive Interview with The Strangers trilogy star, Madelaine Petsch
The two original films did have somewhat of a cult like following, otherwise they were not given that high of praise. However, when it came for the release of The Strangers: Chapter 1 (Harlin, 2024), there was almost no hype around it. Two years later and the end is near, but who knows it is coming? For those of you who have not found yourself up to date with the series, the finale brings promising closure for the cast of characters, or maybe just one character.
‘The Strangers: Chapter 3 Review: Madelaine Petsch
The Strangers: Chapter 1 introduces the world to a couple, Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez). As their car breaks down in the eerie town of Venus, Oregon, they begin to understand that something is wrong with the people who live there. During the night, the two are terrorized by three masked killers. Leading into Chapter 2 (2025), Maya is the sole survivor and the killers have escaped. A year of suspense is what audiences felt as they waited for Maya to wake in the hospital, severely injured. While being continuously pursued by the killers who failed on their first attempt, the audience is brought to the past, adding context and knowledge regarding our killers. From the hospital to the woods, Maya never knows if she will be able to escape this insanity.
At the beginning of Chapter 3, we find Maya where she was when we left her. Left on her own in the woods as she attempts to defend herself from more than just three insane serial killers in masks. As she faces new threats from these masked strangers, more now comes to the surface. In what appears to be a promising finale, secrets are unveiled as the line between life and death blurs as she fights to survive. Traveling down this collision course, the showdown may prove that they are not as much of strangers as they originally believed.
Having been almost two years since watching Chapter 1 and then only just watching Chapter 2, I did not have high hopes for the third and final instalment of this franchise. Not that the first two were terrible in the sense of filmmaking technique, it just felt as though there was less to connect with. Perhaps it was because they had a backing, or many reasons, but in Chapter 3 there is more there for the audience to simply watch.
It was definitely a good thing that this trilogy kept its original writers. Sometimes when you have a film series last more than even just one film, if the writers change, the plot is lost from the original. Luckily, The Strangers: Chapter 3 excels in the concept of plot and character development most likely due to the vision both Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland had when they began this journey back in 2022. Chapter 1 did not provide much for the audience to react to other than the jump scares that always hit at least one person or just simply following Maya, Ryan and the three masked killers. Then, as they develop a backstory for the killers, the films become more interesting and engaging. So much so that by the end of Chapter 3 you are invested in what happens to each of them. While we may not understand much about Maya’s background, we are given a more compelling insight into her as she “matures” throughout this insane and life threatening experience.
As time passes between releases in a series, you tend to not remember every single detail from the prior films. But when it comes to The Strangers: Chapter 3 it feels as though the path taken during the film explains it all for you. Though audiences are brought into the end of Chapter 2, you do not need explicit knowledge of what occurred before to be able to follow this newest instalment through to the end.
Maybe it is because it is the finale, or maybe something else. Yet when it begins, there is an ominous aura to The Strangers: Chapter 3. It is possible that the success of the eerie feeling evoked in the audience comes from both the non-diegetic sound and the acting and facial expressions. The best part about horror film franchises is the cast tend to be unknown or lesser known actors when they are first cast. While yes, in The Strangers: Chapters Madelaine Petsch is known from the CW series Riverdale (2017-2023), most of the remaining cast are new, apart from Richard Brake (who has starred in multiple big projects). This allows for the audience to not expect much apart from what they have seen in the prior two instalments.
Maya is the principal character in all of The Strangers: Chapters, and this is why it is key that Petsch’s performance be as good as it is. The passion for the project can be felt through the screen and the development of the character over the films as well. From fear in Chapter 1 to primal instinct of survival in Chapter 2, Maya’s state changed and shifted to the pursuit of revenge. Petsch is able to convey so much emotion through so much silence in her portrayal of Maya. Not only can you see the character come from within, but there is truly something deeper there.
As with many horror films, The Strangers: Chapter 3 is not perfect in any sense. But it is these imperfections that allow it to fall into its genre and category. You do not tend, as a viewer, to watch these films to see the best film of the year. You watch them to be entertained and scared. The Strangers: Chapter 3 does just that. All of the control is given to Maya. When new characters are brought into similar situations, it is comedically clear to the audience that they cannot handle themselves. Yet Maya holds her own. Along with these laughable characters, the typical cliches of horror films are thrown in as well, like getting into a car crash moments after escaping the killers in a car.
There are many things to dislike in The Strangers: Chapter 3, but for a final instalment in a horror film trilogy, things could have gone much worse. By providing the flashbacks and context you might have wished for in the earlier films, the filmmakers give the characters more context as they head to their ends. One might wish that the context was given earlier, but the fact the third film achieved it made it a much stronger chapter than the previous two. End it all with Madelaine Petsch’s stellar performance and facial expressions and The Strangers: Chapter 3 becomes more than what you would have expected.
With around three years of waiting, the world now experienced three chapters in this new The Strangers trilogy and on February 6, 2026 it comes to a close with the release in US cinemas. If you have made it this far in the franchise, why not try for the final chapter. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Grade: C+
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The Strangers: Chapter 3
Tethered by a frightening conclusion, Maya and the Strangers are locked on an unavoidable, unforgiving collision course — a showdown that proves they’re far from strangers now.
Release Date: February 6, 2026
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso , Richard Brake
