Slasher flicks are all the same. Conservative undertones. Stupid victims. Mask wearing maniacs. This formula is..well, formulaic. Like most horror films, they can be hit or miss. The Carpenters and Cravens of the world had this down to a T in the late '70s, early '80s. With all the hub bub leading up to the first horror film of the 2008 Summer Movie season, "The Strangers" had plenty to live up to.

Using the guise of "based on true events," the story unfolds in a remote part of the US, where couple James Hoyt and Kristen McKay intend to spend a nice weekend getaway at James' parents' summer home. What ensues is mayhem and sheer horror, when three masked strangers intend to scare them into an early grave.

James is distraught after Kristen turns his marriage proposal down following a friend's wedding reception. Kristen, however ironic, feels that there is more of her life to live and the timing isn't right. When they arrive at the house, all seems to be okay, minus the awkward feelings James expresses through his own personal anguish. Then, sex happens. Well, sort of. The couple is interupted by one of the three strangers via an odd knock at the door. "Is Tamara home?" Fortunately, the audience is unable to get a good look at crazy #1. For that matter, the audience never sees the strangers faces, even when the climax occurs without masks.

The obvious conservative rhetoric is there. The message however, is unclear. When the mormon boys interact with the strangers at the end, one of the crazies asks for a pamplet. "Are you a sinner?" "Sometimes." Writer/Director Bryan Bertino is not clear on whether he means to showcase religion (specifically Christianity) in a positive or negative light. Is the audience to feel that through Christ, or in the name of Christ, it is okay to perform acts of evil because all is forgiven? That is probably the largest ambiguity in the film. However, it is not the only ambiguity.

Why are people so stupid? Sure, the car is destroyed. What about the friend's car? Like he's gonna need it with his brains splattered all over the wall. Sure, the place is in the middle of nowhere. Couldn't James and/or Kristen run in any direction and eventually find civilization?

Then again, said issues do make the film a legitimate slasher flick. What sets this film apart is its ending. Bertino goes out of his way during the climax to showcase that the strangers were always in control. Not at any point, through out the night, were they not just toying with their victims. Like a cat playing with a mouse, the strangers intentions are always known, but nothing is going to stop them. The fact that they open the curtains revealing the bright day outside, and then showcasing through several cut shots that James and Kristen are doomed, is downright ingenious for its simplicity. Sequences like that linger. That is why horror is the most effective genre. The audience takes the film with them and into their homes, long after they leave the theater.

There are some real flaws in this film. The forced line near the end of the film "it'll be easier next time," is meant for the Philistine idiots in the audience. Who would have thought a killer, who got away with it the first time, would want to do it again? It also doesn't help when a cliched gotcha ending occurs. Screams are meant for the film, not the credits, especially when they are forced like they are at the end of "The Strangers."

All in all, it's hard not to find this film appealing. This is realistic, despite the seeming stupidity of our protagonists. I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone who has legitimate fears of being attacked (i.e. anxiety people).

I couldn't help but feel that this film, though it's been done before, belongs in the annuls of horror history as a classic. This is due to the eye of the director and the abilities of Liv Tyler to make you believe this is not just a movie.

This is by far, the best horror film of 2008 to date.

Then again, with films like "Prom Night," "One Missed Call" and "The Eye" already in the books, that's not saying much.

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