Alien at the Movies

Knock, knock…

Who’s there?

Apparently burlap sack head Scarecrow, Dollface, & Pinup Girl are back for more fun & games.

Girlfriend/boyfriend Maya & Ryan are celebrating their 5 year anniversary together on a cross country road trip to Portland, Oregon. They stop for a meal at a small cafe in tiny Venus, Oregon, population 400+. It seems all of the locals are creepy weird except one friendly waitress. After their uncomfortable meal, surprise, surprise… their car won’t start & they have to spend the night at an Airbnb (picture a  “Cabin in the Woods” backdrop). After settling in, there is an aggressive knock at the door & a dark unidentifiable silhouetted figure asks for Tamara. Now this reminds me of the 2008 “The Stranger” plot. So is this a sequel or prequel or remake. Given the film’s title & the similarities, I️ suspect this to be a reboot with it being part one of maybe a trilogy. So when our strangers show up bearing an ax & big knives, it becomes a game of “hide & seek” with a jump scare lurking around every corner. If you have seen the original, you’ll pretty much know how everything is going to be, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The 3 strangers are still psychopaths/sociopaths with no apparent motive. Who will survive? This is basically a simple retread that ends with a “to be continued” sign at the end. But don’t get up too soon because there is a mid credit scene. However, it’s as noteworthy as the rest of this film. This movie is pretty much a waste of time unless you haven’t seen the 2008 film. I️ am more curious about where & what direction the next film will take our 3 strangers. Will they come knocking at your door? “Here’s Johnny!”

Alien gives it 2½ “inhaler” stars out of 4.