The Writer/Director of ‘The Strangers’ (2008) Has a New Horror Movie Starring Dakota Fanning Streaming This Friday (Oct. 10)
“Bryan Bertino is the master of making me terrified of being in my own home.”

A perennial favorite among horror fans is 2008’s The Strangers, a home invasion movie about a couple terrorized in a rural home by three masked intruders. The Strangers was written and directed by Brian Bertino, who also co-wrote and executive produced the sequel Strangers: Prey at Night (2018). Additionally, Bertino wrote, directed and produced the underrated horror movie The Dark and the Wicked (2020).
Now, Brian Bertino has a new horror movie coming out this Friday, Vicious, which stars Dakota Fanning. Vicious is about a woman (Fanning) who receives a late night visit from a stranger. After inviting them in, the stranger reveals their purpose and plunges the woman into a battle to survive the night.
Here’s the trailer:
Vicious was originally scheduled for a theatrical release in August but it was cancelled in favor of a direct-to-streaming release on Paramount+. So far, the film has a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 3.0 rating on Letterboxd, with one of the top reviews reading: “Bryan Bertino is the master of making me terrified of being in my own home.” The mixed reviews explain the direct-to-streaming release, but for fans of The Strangers and The Dark and the Wicked, it’s worth getting excited about this new release that’s free to watch if you’re a Paramount+ subscriber.
Vicious is streaming on Paramount+ and video on demand this Friday, October 10.
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