The Strangers (R)
It’s already a lousy night for Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman), who return to his parents’ vacation home after she turns down his proposal outside their friends’ wedding. Things get even worse when a trio of masked loonies pound on the house doors, stand creepily at a distance, appear and disappear at random, and pick up knives super-slowly to prolong the inevitability of what the film’s opening virtually guarantees: James and Kristen are going to die.
Big question: Can this horror flick, allegedly based on real-life events, generate the same anxiety — and discussions about onscreen and offscreen violence — as Michael Haneke’s superb attacked-at-a-lake-house thriller, “Funny Games”?
Skip it: First-time writer-director Bryan Bertino avoids excessive gore and “Prom Night”-style lameness, but you’d think his patient touch would allow for a few moments that explore the nature of violence or relationships or, heck, how to select a set of kitchen knives that best protects from intruders.
Bottom line: More like “suspense porn” than “torture porn.”
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The Fall (PG-13)
Who’s in it: Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, Justine Waddell
What it’s about: Roy Walker, a silent-film stuntman who is left paralyzed after a fall, befriends a 5-year-old by spinning an elaborate fairy tale.
Worth watching? “It is a feast for the eyes made even more stunning by two standout performances.” [ RICK BENTLEY, THE SACRAMENTO BEE ]
Love and Honor (PG-13)
Who’s in it: Takuya Kimura, Shinnojo Mimura, Rei Dan
What it’s about: A recently blinded samurai confronts his own shame and his suspicion that his wife may be cheating on him.
Worth watching? “Less excitement than you’d expect from a movie featuring a blind swordsman.” [MATT PAIS ]
