The Strangers: Chapter 1 - what does the mid-credits scene mean for Chapter 2?

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is officially in theaters, and I'm sure fans of Bryan Bertino's original 2008 film will recognize many similarities between the new film and his version. Chapter 1 doesn't diverge much from what we saw in 2008, but apparently, the story changes won't happen until the next two parts of the trilogy.

Spoilers for the ending of The Strangers: Chapter 1

But how does the first movie end? Well, it ends almost identical to the first film. Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are ultimately captured and tied to chairs by the three strangers. The strangers reveal their motives as the same as the previous film, too. They went after the couple simply because they were there.

Then, the masked assailants brutally stab Ryan and kick his chair over as Maya is forced to watch him bleed to death. They stab her, too, but before she dies, the police arrive. Remember, Maya did manage to call them from the stolen cell phone while hiding in the forest. It looks like they traced the signal and tracked her to the cabin.

By the time the police show up, the strangers are long gone. We don't see the police get to the house, but we do get a shot at the end of Maya in the hospital, confirming she's still alive.

That also mirrors the end of the 2008 film, as Liv Tyler's character Kristen manages to survive in the end, at least briefly, as she reaches out to a kid passing by for help. That kid is referenced in this movie, too, as two are seen passing out religious pamphlets in town earlier in the film.

Maya might not be in the clear just yet

Director Renny Harlin has teased that the trilogy will move forward in a "very surprising" direction for the audience in the following two films. Based on how the movie ends, I'm curious if we'll see a final girl arc for Maya... if she survives.

There is a mid-credits scene during The Strangers: Chapter 1 that shows Maya in her hospital bed. As she sits up, the camera reveals that "Scarecrow" (the stranger with the bag on his head) is lying beside her. Is he really there? Or is she having a nightmare?

I can't imagine they would keep Maya alive just to kill her off immediately in the next film, but you never know. Given that Harlin promises the movie will change things up significantly from the original, i think Maya might turn the tables on the strangers and go after them instead. That, or they stalk her all the way home.

All I know is, that "to be continued" at the end hit me hard. Where is that 4.5-hour cut? I need to know what happens next.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is now playing in theaters. To stay up to date on thrillers, sci-fi, and horror, bookmark 1428 Elm and follow our Facebook page and Twitter account!