The Strangers: Chapter 3

The best new idea of this series that “Chapter 3” shallowly explores is when Gregory and Shelly basically try to turn Maya into the third point in their torture triangle, replacing the dead Pin-Up Girl with their recent prey. Petsch remains the greatest asset of these films, moving from her physical turn in the last two to a kind of state of shock that allows her to potentially be turned from a victim into a murderer. Again, as a third act of a film that starts with a quickie remake of the original? It could have been a story of how trauma can make people into sociopaths, even someone who just watched her partner get murdered. But Cohen and Freedland don’t have the courage to get truly weird with these movies and “Chapter 3” ultimately becomes a pretty predictable, poorly made thriller, complete with more out-of-towners to meet the sharp end of Gregory’s axe in Maya’s sister and brother-in-law.