‘The Strangers – Chapter 3’ Finally Realizes It’s Time to Wrap Things Up

February 5, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , 1 Comment

People sure are strange (CREDIT: John Armour/Lionsgate)

Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake

Director: Renny Harlin

Running Time: 91 Minutes

Rating: R for Plenty of Stabbing

Release Date: February 6, 2026 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: After surviving the mask-wearing, knife-wielding serial killers who murdered her boyfriend, and then surviving them even more, Madelaine Petsch’s Maya is still doing her best to survive them for just a little while longer. She has some concerned family members in her corner who are trying to find her within the forests of Venus, Oregon, but they’re being stonewalled by the locals who are deathly afraid of bucking the status quo. Meanwhile, Sheriff Rotter (Richard Brake) is putting his boot down even harder than usual before this spree gets completely out of hand, which might just mean protecting the killers more than the victims. And as we approach the endgame of this trilogy, the Strangers could just become a little more familiar.

What Made an Impression?: Lack of Compression: When I saw The Strangers: Chapter 1 two years ago, I thought it was going to be a prequel to the original Strangers with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, only to discover that it was actually the beginning of a wholly new trilogy. So then when I saw Chapter 2 last fall, I knew what I was in for, but I couldn’t help but wonder what was taking so long. So should this all have been just one movie? Well, Chapter 3 is definitely the strongest outing, and the events of the first two chapters could’ve easily been edited down to just a prologue for this finale without losing much. However, while I would argue that these three flicks probably would’ve worked better as a single release, I don’t hate the ambition. But yeah, there was a lot of unnecessary dillying and dallying.
Trying on the Mask of Darkness: When the only way out is through, what compromises do you have to make? As reputedly the only ever survivor of the titular killers’ reign of terror, Maya becomes a bit of an object of fascination. There are some hints of latter-day Hannibal vibes, wherein Maya is invited to wield the knife much the same way that Clarice Starling found herself inexplicably seduced by Dr. Lecter. The Strangers – Chapter 3 team doesn’t quite have the nerve to go fully twisted in this regard, but I appreciate the flirtation with something somewhat transgressive.
A Little Bit of Catharsis: The conclusion of this movie hinges on a reveal that is so obvious that I can’t believe it’s actually meant as a twist ending. But I don’t hate that that moment doesn’t exactly mean much. After all, Maya is finally able to take control and after the hell she’s been through, she deserves a break and a modicum of autonomy. So do we.

The Strangers – Chapter 3 is Recommended If You: At the very least just want it to be better than Chapters 1 and 2

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Unmaskings

‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ Review: Strap In and Watch the Fireworks Go Off!

November 20, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , 1 Comment

The Road to Revenge is filled with so many explosions (CREDIT: Heikki Leis)

Starring: Jorma Tommila, Stephen Lang, Richard Brake

Director: Jalmari Helander

Running Time: 89 Minutes

Rating: R for Blood and Guts

Release Date: November 21, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Following the end of World War II, after a chunk of Finland is ceded to the Soviet Union, former Finnish Army commando Aatami Korpi returns to this territory to dismantle his family house and then rebuild it elsewhere. But when the Soviets catch wind of his presence, they’re not exactly content to let him just do his own thing. Because, you see, after Aatami’s family was slaughtered by Red Army officer Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang), he went on quite the killing spree of his own, which means of course now the Soviets have hired Draganov to finish the job. I’ve never seen the first Sisu, so I don’t know how much of this backstory is set up in that chapter. But it doesn’t particularly matter. Once that bare-bones premise is established, Road to Revenge is just nonstop action, and that’s pretty much all you need to know.

What Made an Impression?: Boom Launch: Does it ever get old launching a missile at close range and watching it gloriously explode upon impact? Jalmari Helmander sure hopes not! If the world of Sisu represents the writer/director’s cinematic philosophy, then the big screen shouldn’t go more than 30 minutes without such a climactic outburst. And hey, I’m not complaining, because at least he also takes the time to patiently build up to all that mayhem with (relatively) smaller moments of cascading chaos. Are Megadeth’s ears ringing? Because this is undeniably a symphony of destruction!
It’s Cold Over There: Road to Revenge features one of my favorite establishing chyrons in quite a while, as it whisks away to a foreboding location with the text message “Meanwhile in Siberia.” It could’ve just said “Siberia,” but that simple-yet-no-by-means-undervalued “Meanwhile in” really took it to another level, and I hope it tickles everyone else as much as it did me.
A Final Release: When discussing such a simple, straightforward adrenaline-delivery machine like this one, I don’t have much more to add to what I’ve already said beyond “Boom, boom, boom!” But before I conclude, there is another reaction that I ought to share, as Helmander and Tommila take a breath and then make sure to leave us with another sort of catharsis. I won’t go into detail too much in case you want to be surprised, but just know that if you somehow find yourself getting swept into a heartfelt connection amidst all the carnage, your fragile emotional state will be handled with care.

Sisu: Road to Revenge is Recommended If You Like: The Idea of Inglourious Basterds crossed with Looney Tunes

Grade: 3 out of 5 Kabooms

‘Barbarian’ 4 LYFE

October 3, 2022

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , 3 Comments

So Barbaric (CREDIT: 20th Century Studios/Screenshot)

Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake

Director: Zach Cregger

Running Time: 107 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: September 9, 2022 (Theaters)

Right before seeing Barbarian, I got some fried ice cream for the first time at a place I’d been meaning to try for a while. And it was as delicious as I’d hoped for! So I took that as a wonderful portent that Barbarian would also be able to meet my sky-high expectations. So let me assure everyone quickly: it was a wonderful evening all around.

Barbarian is one of those movies where you don’t want to talk to folks who haven’t seen it in too much detail, because all the twisty surprises are so much fun to discover unspoiled. But unlike a lot of other movies of that ilk, there’s plenty to talk about without spoiling the monster. Like, I could mention that Justin Long is in it, and that he’s got a pretty significant part, despite not being in the trailer at all. And that spoils nothing! Well, it spoils Justin’s sudden, previously unannounced introduction. But that only amounts to about 1% spoilage. Anyway, how are there not more basement-based horror movies?

Grade: 476/500