Tubi Finds: Stranger in our Home (1978)
The name Wes Craven carries a big stick in the horror world; the progenitor behind classics such as The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream, Craven’s hand has touched some of the greatest genre films to date. 1978’s made-for-television witchcraft thriller Stranger in Our House, however, is a rare miss in the repertoire of one the true giants of horror.
Known as Summer of Fear outside the U.S., Stranger in Our House stars Linda Blair (of The Exorcist fame) as Rachel, a young girl from an affluent California family. One morning, Rachel is awakened by a nightmare of a fiery car crash. She comes upon her tearful parents, who inform her that her Aunt and Uncle have been killed in a wreck similar to her dream. They then reveal to her and her siblings Peter and Bobby that they must go to the funeral on the East Coast and help in any way they can. They then imply that when they return, they will be bringing back their cousin Julia, who was orphaned by the crash and has no other family. All of this despite the fact that none of them have seen these particular relatives in over ten years. The film then jumps forward an indistinct amount of time, and the parents return with Julia in tow. Shy and quiet initially, it soon becomes clear that Julia is not what she seems. As her “cousin” begins to slowly bewitch her family and friends, it is up to Rachel to stop her.
What really hurts after viewing Stranger in Our House is that it had so much potential. This film wastes an interesting plot involving witchcraft, as well as a surprisingly adroit performance turned in by Lee Purcell as Julia. Instead, what we are given is a largely boring piece of post-Exorcist, satanic-lite fodder no different than the dozens of others produced during the television-movie golden age of the 1970s. Most of the performances are stilted and stiff, and the plot is filled with holes that become apparent after only the most minor amount of thought. For example, Julia’s reasons behind her actions are never explained, despite the fact that she mentions explicitly that her goal was to come to California. In fact, she stated emphatically that she had “killed to get here.” Yet, she’d never met Rachel or her family; more than that, the fact that they haven’t met is an essential part of the plot .
Stranger in Our House also has some straight-up strange elements. There is an entire subplot concerning Rachel’s brother Peter having a crush on their estranged cousin. The entire family seems aware of it, and they treat it as perfectly normal. Though nothing happens between the two (In fact, Julia ends up stealing Rachel’s boyfriend instead,) it’s still a strange and off-putting side story.
However, there is some entertainment to be had here. Lee Purcell’s Ozark-tongued Julia is both a charming and capable villainess, and arguably the only interesting character in the entire film. Notably, she is also an early example of the “Stranger in the Home” trope, a modern example of which would be the 2009 film Orphan.
The film has its funny moments, though to be fair the comedy is largely unintentional. The hammy acting and convoluted side story featuring a horse competition Rachel is competing in make for more than a few “so bad it’s good” moments. It also boasts a surprisingly poignant scene between Rachel and her horse after the animal breaks its leg, the best bit of acting that Blair manages to produce in the hour and a half runtime.
For television history buffs, Stranger in the House also contains an early appearance of Fran Drescher as Rachel’s best friend. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t have much more going for it. Though it might be good for a bad movie night with friends, in this reviewer’s opinion Stranger in Our House is best left on the shelf.
2/5 Stars