The opening crawl of Strange Darling says that the movie is about the last few murders of a prolific 21st Century serial killer whose reign of terror moved from Colorado to Wyoming and ended up in the woods of Oregon.
And that’s pretty much all you should know about the plot of the movie before you go see it.
With Strange Darling, writer/director JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels) redefines the cat-and-mouse thriller. What seems like a one-night stand situation goes horribly wrong for the characters, who are known only as The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald from The Fall of the House of Usher) and The Demon (Smile’s Kyle Gallner). Strange Darling is a visceral film that checks off just about every content warning box imaginable – violence, sex, drug use, all of them. And there is a twist at every turn.
Since we don’t want to talk too much about the plot of Strange Darling in order to avoid spoiling the surprises, let’s talk about the tools Mollner uses to make the movie as effective as it is. One of the most important aspects of the movie is its non-linear timeline. The title card boasts that Strange Darling is a “Thriller in 6 Chapters,” then immediately switches to a card saying “Chapter 3.” That gives you an idea of what you’re in for. Similar to what Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction, Mollner provides information in the order he wants you to see it, and it’s brilliant. Since some of the twists and turns change everything about the movie, what is shown in Chapter 2 is better off not being known while Chapter 5 is being experienced. In this way, the audience is the mouse, and Mollner is the cat.
Another element in Strange Darling that helps the movie make its point is the cinematography. It was shot by Giovanni Ribisi (yes, THAT Giovanni Ribisi, the Sneaky Pete actor who also served as a producer on the film), and for as chaotic as the movie is, the photography is subtle and subdued, with long smooth takes that let the action unfold naturally as if the audience is witnessing the calamity first-hand. While at first, it might seem as if using Ribisi as the director of photography may have been a money-saving decision, he knows his stuff, and his work fits the film perfectly.
Speaking of fitting the film perfectly, there’s the soundtrack. There are two sides of the musical coin at work in Strange Darling. On the one hand, there’s an abrasive and cacophonous analog synth score by composer Craig DeLeon (Fatal Attraction) that adds to the commotion and madness onscreen. And then, there’s a bunch of mellow, folksy songs written and performed by indie rock waif Z Berg (from the band The Like) that are sonically the complete opposite – soft, lyrical, and touching. These seem to juxtapose the horrific events of the movie (and DeLeon’s tumultuous score) in a soothing way. Z Berg even turns in a haunting rendition of Nazareth’s “Love Hurts” (which is, uncoincidentally, one of the movie’s tag lines).
And then, there’s the cast. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner have terrific chemistry, whether they’re seductively trading barbs in a car bathed in neon hotel light or they’re fighting it out deep in the Oregon woods. Both performances are great, but they’re next-level when they are on screen together. The supporting cast includes veteran actors Ed Begley Jr. (Young Sheldon) and Barbara Hershey (The Entity), and along with a handful of bit parts, that’s really all the movie needs. Fitzgerald and Gallner are in the driver’s seat, everyone else is along for the ride.
It seems as if the entire identity of Strange Darling is built around going into it blind, and as cliché as that sounds, in this case it’s 100% true. There’s a reason that both critics and audiences are keeping the plot points secret, and it’s the same reason that Mollner chose to unfold his story non-chronologically. It’s all part of the big picture. So, see Strange Darling before the big picture gets ruined for you.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: R for sexual material, language, drug use, strong/bloody violent content
Release Date: August 23, 2024
Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Distributor: Magenta Light Studios
This post was last modified on February 18, 2025 11:55 pm