The Strangers begins with the low key, every-day characters of Kristen McKay and James Hoyt (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), who arrive at a remote vacation home for what Hoyt hopes will be a romantic night in. But when he takes the big step of proposing, and Kristen turns him down, the evening is ruined. Little do Kristen and James know, however, that the night is about to take a hellish turn for the worse. So, while all the relationship-driven, heart wrenching angst may seem like the end of the world, it's only the beginning of the pain for the unhappy couple. It all starts when they receive a knock on the door later that night accompanied by a menacing voice which asks, "Is Tamara here?" What follows is a violent struggle with three masked assailants who apparently have no motive for their actions.

Although the set-up of The Strangers works very well (and bears quite a few similarities to Michael Haneke's Austrian film Funny Games, the US remake of which will be released soon), the film ultimately descends into a melee of mindless violence as it grinds inexorably toward its climax. The film manages to effectively build genuine tension and suspense, but that's pretty much shattered by the final sequences. The acting is impressive, though while Speedman is effective throughout, it becomes very tiring just watching Liv Tyler cry hopelessly for the entire film. The three "strangers" are played creepily and inventively by Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis and - in a surprise piece of casting - Australian model-turned-actress Gemma Ward, who made such an impact in Elissa Down's The Black Balloon earlier this year.

The Strangers is starkly unapologetic for all its creative choices, and one cannot help but be mindful of the fact that in real life, crimes are often completely senseless and unjustified. The ending of the film is so depressing that the viewer risks leaving the theatre feeling defiled, and with a sense of hopelessness and dread. It's probably not most people's idea of a good time, but perhaps that feeling is exactly what the filmmakers were stabbing at.