Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Annoying, pointless, very bloody home-invasion sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Strangers: Prey at Night
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Based on 28 kid reviews
Kids say the film is a mixed bag, with some finding it entertaining and others deeming it boring, citing predictable plot points and underwhelming characters. Many appreciated the nostalgic 80s music and jump scares, while others criticized it for lacking violence and depth compared to the original.
- mixed reviews
- jump scares
- 80s music
- predictable plot
- minimal gore
- entertaining for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT, troublemaking teen Kinsey (Bailee Madison) is being shipped off to a boarding school by her exasperated but loving parents, Cindy (Christina Hendricks) and Mike (Martin Henderson). Kinsey's older brother, Luke (Lewis Pullman), joins them for the road trip to the school. They stop at a mobile home park to spend the night, but, just as they're about to settle in, they're visited by an unusual young woman. Then, Kinsey and Luke find an open trailer with two dead bodies inside. Realizing that all their phones have been disabled, the family members try to escape, but eerie masked killers are on the attack. As the bodies begin to fall, Kinsey and Luke try to fight back, but the "strangers" are everywhere...
Is It Any Good?
This 10-years-later sequel to one of the staples of the home-invasion horror subgenre is aggravatingly typical, with baffling lapses in logic, dumb characters, and annoying, all-powerful killers. The original The Strangers (2008) wasn't good (or well-received by either critics or viewers), but it still made lots of money. Thus, the sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night, which is completely unnecessary other than as an investment. Director Johannes Roberts (The Other Side of the Door, 47 Meters Down), starts things off promisingly, with a 1980s-style title card and a creepy, 1980s-style synthesizer score, as well as some ironically chosen '80s pop songs. He even includes a De Palma-like split-screen shot.
But the movie disintegrates quickly from there. It has predictable jump scares and clichés like the lone, creaking swing on the swing set. The characters aren't very smart, and their dialogue never really rings true. Unbelievably, all four of them leave their trailer without taking their phones. And they're always poking around where they shouldn't be, facing the wrong direction, or running from danger in plain sight. The killers, on the other hand, are inhumanly imperturbable, with nary a drop of adrenaline affecting their actions. They're also able, supernaturally, to be anywhere, at any time, and to know where their victims are at all times. There's no suspense and no horror. It's all just crushingly dull.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Strangers: Prey at Night's violence. How much blood and gore is shown? What's the effect? Does it make you jump, squeal, or shut your eyes? Is it shocking? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? What's the appeal of home-invasion movies in particular?
How is teen smoking depicted? Is it glamorized? Does it look cool? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How does this sequel compare to the first movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 9, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : June 12, 2018
- Cast : Christina Hendricks , Bailee Madison , Martin Henderson
- Director : Johannes Roberts
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Aviron Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : horror violence and terror throughout, and for language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate