Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Renny Harlin, ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ continues the story set up by ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1,’ this time with Maya taking back control of the narrative. After surviving the serial killing trio’s attack, she manages to escape from the hospital, hop through several corners of Venus, before eventually facing off with Pin-Up Girl. In the fight that follows, we discover that the Pin-Up Girl is none other than Shelly, and soon after that, she is killed. With one of the three killers down, Maya directs her attention towards Scarecrow and Dollface, but is met with more questions than answers. While we know next to nothing about who Dollface is behind that mask, when it comes to Scarecrow, it is possible that the answer is lying hidden in plain sight. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Gregory Checks All the Boxes When it Comes to Being Scarecrow
The subtle hints spread all throughout ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2′ suggest that the real identity of Scarecrow, one of the three “Strangers,” is none other than Gregory. The last time we see him in the movie is when he dips out of Nurse Garcia’s house, but not before ominously claiming that Maya is the only person to ever survive the serial killers’ attack. Given that the entire town seems interested in suppressing the truth about the Strangers or brushing them off as rumors, for Gregory to know such a personal detail about them can only mean one thing: that he is, at the very least, working for the killers. In the same vein, it is entirely possible that he is Scarecrow himself and is out for revenge already.
Based on the usual structure of a slasher horror film, we can set up some rules that are generally true, regardless of the plot. For instance, the killer is almost always introduced early on in the movie as some supporting character, and while many red herrings are thrown our way, it is usually this mystery figure, who has so far remained in the backdrop, who turns out to be the most integral to the story. In the case of ‘The Strangers,’ we see this hold true in the case of Shelly, who is introduced as a server at a diner, but turns out to be none other than Pin-Up Girl. Among the other characters casually introduced in the films, Gregory is the only one who fits Scarecrow’s build and, most importantly, is still alive.
Maya Seems Close to Figuring Out Scarecrow’s Identity
While we get an extended backstory about who Shelly is and how she became the killer we see today, things remain quite ambiguous in the case of Scarecrow. This is different from Dollface, whom we have yet to know even a little bit about, as for Scarecrow, we already know that he was young Shelly’s friend and partner in crime. They seem to have made an alliance right after her first kill, which means that for any character to know about her secret double life as a murderer, the list of potential candidates doesn’t run very large. If Gregory is revealed to be the killer, a lot of the unusual details surrounding him begin making sense, especially the fact that he leaves at a suspiciously perfect time, right before the movie’s climactic fight.
Though Maya doesn’t know Scarecrow’s real identity yet, it appears that on some level, her subconscious already suspects Gregory, or at least registers him as a threat. When she is first rescued by Nurse Garcia, it is only after Gregory enters the car that Maya begins to feel paranoid about the entire group. This, when combined with the fact that he is the only survivor of that house, strongly points towards him being the masked killer, but, as is always the case with ‘The Strangers’ films, one can never be too sure about the reveal. There is a chance that the third movie throws a last-minute curveball, revealing that it’s the sheriff who has been behind all these killings, or at least connected to them, but until then, Gregory remains the strongest suspect.
Read More: The Strangers Chapter 2 Ending Explained: Is Shelly AKA Pin-Up Girl Dead? Does Maya Survive?
You must be logged in to post a comment.