The Ending Of The Strangers: Prey At Night Explained

Two down, one to go.

After surviving another scrape, Kinsey, battered and bleeding, begins trying to start up the police car to make a decisive escape. In the window behind her, headlights loom and then approach. The truck pulls up alongside Kinsey — it's the Man in the Mask, of course.

Both Strangers movies are notable for showcasing the playful sadism of the killers. Often, they get a chance to execute their victims and just... don't, preferring to terrify and taunt their prey like a mean cat giving a trapped mouse the slow goodbye. In The Strangers: Prey at Night, it's a tactic that works against them, allowing their victims just enough chances to get lucky, get away, or get revenge.

This time, the Man in the Mask's taunt of choice involves the chart-topping songs of the '80s. Side-by-side with Kinsey's car, the masked man cranks the radio on Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," a coincidentally on-the-nose choice for the encounter. If the last stranger standing knows his two comrades are dead, he really doesn't seem to care.

The movie's director, Johannes Roberts, took on a personal role in selecting the pop songs for the movie, giving the slasher movie scenes a throwback feel with maximum ironic effect. It's totally corny, but a lot of fun, especially the portion of the climax given over to Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart."