The Strangers keep appearing in real life and it’s creeping people out

Ahead of the release of The Strangers: Chapter 1, the famed group of masked assailants from the horror movie franchise keep showing up in real life — unsurprisingly, it’s creeping people out. 

The home invasion horror franchise is set to make its return to the big screen with an upcoming movie trilogy, with The Strangers: Chapter 1 arriving in cinemas on May 17. 

Until then, the team has come up with a rather sinister marketing ploy: peppering actors wearing the infamous Strangers masks across various locations in the US. 

Reporter Robert Costa spotted the trio — Dollface, Pin Up Girl, and the Man in the Mask — in New York this week. Alongside an image, he wrote on X/Twitter: “Strange, slightly unsettling scene today outside Manhattan criminal court.” 

“That’s not creepy at all. Yikes,” said one in response, while another commented, “Seriously? That’s a little creepy even for New York.”

The trio were also pictured in LA and Miami, with the official The Strangers: Chapter 1 page taunting fans with unsettling clips and photos. In one post, footage shows the masked killers on Miami beach, with the caption, “Having a nice day at the beach? We’re here to ruin it…”

Another of them stalking Tinseltown reads, “Los Angeles, no amount of light can deter our darkness.” They were even seen trying to break into the Pop Crave office!

The marketing stunt has certainly been effective at generating hype for the upcoming horror movie, with one fan writing, “This movie is gonna slay! Really excited.” Another predicts it’ll be the “movie of the year.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen these masks. In fact, the horror franchise started back in 2008 with the movie The Strangers. 

The seriously scary home invasion film stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple whose stay at a remote vacation home turns into a fight for survival against a group of psychopaths.

We never learn of the killers’ identities due to the fact that they wear those creepy masks, and the same goes for the sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night. 

Next in line is Renny Harlin’s trilogy of films, which were shot back-to-back and will be released throughout 2024, starting with Chapter 1 this month. 

The story centers on a new couple named Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), who get stranded in a remote village in Oregon. When they rent an Airbnb for the night, they soon realize the creepy townspeople are the least of their worries. 

The Strangers: Chapter 1 arrives in cinemas on May 17, 2024. You can also find more movies to watch this month, as well as all of the best new flicks heading to streaming.