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.”

Dakota Fanning stars in Vicious (2025), now streaming on Paramount+.

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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Meet The Author

Chrissy Stockton

Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.