The Strangers – Chapter 3 (2026)

The Strangers

Ask anyone, I do have a bit of love for the old horror movies, so I was somewhat excited to see that the last chapter in The Strangers movie that started in 2024.

I’ve seen all The Strangers movies, starting with the first in 2008 (which I own on Steelbook Bluray). Then ten years later, the movie creators released The Strangers: Prey at Night. I saw it, I thought it was okay. It just continues the same masked “Strangers” killers stalking and murdering people. They have sets of rules, such as knocking on doors and asking “Is Tamara here?”

Although I thought they were stupid rules, I never asked “Why do they do that?” Starting with The Strangers – Chapter 1 the filmmakers decide to tell The Strangers’ secret origins. And my god, it’s as dumb as you think. Everything you suspected about the killers are confirmed. Yes, they’re just horrible murdering psychopaths! There’s really no rhyme or reasons, they’re just flat-out crazy.

The Strangers – Chapter 1 sets up this long, bloated story, with an out-of-town couple as the latest victims for the Strangers. They killed the boyfriend, but the girl (Maya), played by Madelaine Petsch, escaped and the movie turned into a cat/mouse film.

The Strangers – Chapter 2 was a really unnecessary film. It is just a long, mindless chase movie. I think half the film is about how (and who) the Strangers came to be. Why they ask for Tamara. I won’t go into details, but like I said, it’s just dumb.

In the finale, The Strangers – Chapter 3 (which was in theaters in February 2026), Maya’s sister came to look for her. You also find out how The Strangers got away with the countless killings throughout the years (even though logically it doesn’t make any sense).

While I am glad the trilogy is over, I felt like there weren’t enough story for three full films. At most, it’s two films… but I guess the filmmakers felt there were enough to split it into a trilogy. As you have guessed it, the three films were all shot and completed in 2022, with maybe some post-production that came on later. Basically, if they wanted to – they could have released all three films around the same time, instead they doled it out annually.

Although I had some rollercoasting feelings on the trilogy, I think it might work best if you saw them all at once (I know sitting through four or five hours might be rough). I think the fact that I never cared or wanted to know the secret origins of The Strangers was enough to not recommend the film, because I find that the most disturbing part about The Strangers was that you had no idea why they were doing this. To explain it, well it takes out that mystery.

The ending does set up the Strangers in the future, and the filmmakers have mentioned that they are interested in doing more of these films. With the trilogy universally hated, I just hope they can tell that story in one two-hour movie. I don’t need or want a six-part movie.

One Mile – Chapter 2 (2026)

One Mile

Amazon Prime recently released One Mile Chapter One and Chapter Two on February 20, 2026. The semi-low-budget action/thriller film stars Ryan Phillippe as a former Special Forces soldier.

It sounds like a typical Jason Statham movie. You know, he’s retired and just trying to spend time with his family… but when it comes down to it, he will use his special set of skills to take down the bad guys. It’s typical action film.

The first Chapter does start off somewhat like a horror film. We see a couple trying to find the 1-mile marker and then a group of men shows up and kills the boyfriend. Then the movie totally changes tone and it’s Mr Family guy (Danny) finally taking an early retirement to spend time with his grownup daughter. It’s typical, he was never there when she grew up, so she has this resentment for her father. I don’t know, it just looks like the actor Phillippe just looks too young to have a college-age daughter. They could have made it believable if they aged him up a bit or cast an older actor.

Soon enough, the father-daughter road trip across the country to visit all the colleges that his daughter applied for. They were recommended that 1-mile marker as a camp ground… and, just like what happened at the start of the film, some strangers showed up to try and kidnap the daughter and killed Danny. However, with his special skills, he was able to take down some guys, but not before they took his daughter.

The rest of the film is just Danny trying to get his daughter back and fighting all these guys. The film wraps up with Danny killing all the threat in a grand explosion. I think the story could have just ended there. It’s a forgettable movie, but hey it had an ending. Let’s just leave it at that…

Unfortunately, the filmmakers made TWO films at the same time and Chapter Two was also made available the same day. You know, I’m a glutton for punishment and decided to see the sequel. Wow, that second movie was just not necessary. Somehow, the main father villain survived the explosion that killed all his sons (?) at the end of the first film. It’s not believable that he survived. It’s also not believable on how this family was able to kidnapped and murdered all these people throughout the years. I don’t care how you explain it, it just doesn’t add up. For example, if the water is bad, maybe just install a water filtering system or import your water or drink bottled water.

So yes, once again, the villain kidnapped Danny’s daughter. Danny has to find a way to get his daughter back. It’s how you expect the film to end.

The whole thing reminded me of a better film, Taken. They made a mistake of kidnapping Liam Neeson’s daughter and how he will move the earth to get her back. That first film is great… no one ever asked for a sequel – yet we have three films in the Taken trilogy, and every film that followed it just sucked. It’s the same thing again – someone kidnapped your daughter so Neeson has to track her down. Like Taken, I think One Mile should have just been a one-and-done movie. If you are to have a sequel, do something else. No more kidnapping, maybe he has to deal with his enemies from the past, I don’t know just something different.