Strange Darling is a new horror film from relatively unknown writer and director JT Mollner that stars Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. Telling a cautionary tale about one-night stands, after a twisted tryst, a maniac goes on a killing spree that will surely be their last. Simple setup, right?
I had been hearing good things about Strange Darling for a while, but I had some skepticism. JJ Abrams even said he “lost his mind for Strange Darling,” which is high praise from a powerhouse in the industry! Marketing is a powerful thing, and I’m liable to be caught by clickbait every now and again, even if I try not to. However, there was actually no need for caution.
Strange Darling has all the makings of a cult classic.
Strange Darling is broken up into six chapters and an epilogue, but it’s not shown in chronological order. Before the opening credits, we begin in Chapter 3, where we’re introduced to “The Lady” (Willa Fitzgerald), running for her life from “The Demon” (Kyle Gallner). The Lady is clearly injured and is running for her damn life from what seems to be a hunter with a rifle. And it’s not wabbit season…
What unfolds is the story of how we got here and beyond. Chapter 1, for example, shows the amicable beginnings between the two, oozing with sexual chemistry. How the heck does one go from this sweet introduction to a car chase and a gun-toting psychopath? The film explains it all.
But I won’t because that would be spoilers!
The movie opens with words stating that the entire film was shot on 35mm film, and the quality is absolutely undeniable. I have no idea why they chose to state that upfront because, at the time, I barely cared. I’m not a film snob; I’m a film lover, so that meant almost diddly-squat to me. Having said that, the shots in Strange Darling are breathtaking. Giovanni Ribisi is the freaking man!
Yes, that’s right: THAT Giovanni Ribisi, making his cinematography debut. Phoebe’s little half-brother from Friends is all grown up and helping to make beautiful movies. What an announcement onto the world stage in a new field!
Composer Craig DeLeon contributes to the overall aesthetic by utilizing drawn-out ominous tones intermixed with an unsettling score in tense moments. The soundtrack does a lot of heavy lifting, with soft indie songs scattered throughout, luring you into a false sense of security. It’s eerie.
Damn, this is a pretty movie.
The cast aren’t necessarily household names, but neither of the leads are strangers to the horror genre. Fitzgerald had previously fronted the Scream TV show and was most recently featured in Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, whilst Gallner had smaller roles in Scream (2022) and Smile.
They are excellent.
Kyle Gallner (who I still see as Beaver Casablancas from Veronica Mars) plays a dirtbag so well but is also very believable as a sensitive love interest. His performance as The Demon is played perfectly. Willa Fitzgerald is also enigmatic in her portrayal of The Lady. She is captivating.
Strange Darling’s tone is excellent. Due to its non-linear storytelling, it keeps you on your toes, trying to determine what the FREAKING HELL is going on and why The Demon is trying to kill The Lady. As more and more of the story is revealed, it only becomes more tense, ramping up to the jaw-dropping finale.
There isn’t much about Strange Darling that I didn’t like, but there are some things that could have been done a tiny bit better.
Not all, but some of the story beats can be telegraphed early on in the movie. Luckily, the film doesn’t rely on these reveals to be particularly surprising. They happen way before the last quarter of the film’s 97 minute runtime, so it didn’t disappoint me too much when I had predicted what would happen… or already had happened. You know, it’s really hard to describe when things happen in a non-linear timeline scenario!
The other qualm I have is with Ed Begley Jr. There should have been more of this treasure of a man! We get barely five minutes of Ed Begley Jr.’s retired hippy character, complete with rat-tail and all. Come on! Don’t make me Beg(ley)!
Strange Darling has been the most unexpected gem in a year filled with horror gems. Where the heck did this come from?! It has fantastic cinematography from a debutant cinematographer. It has two leads in Fitzgerald and Gallner that I’m not used to seeing in lead roles. It has a story told in an interesting, non-linear way that isn’t offputting. And all of this from a relatively unknown writer and director!
This hit the spot. A grisly and gritty murder spot in the bottom of my soul. You should definitely go and see this film.
Unless you’re seeing it with your parents. That could be kinda awks.
But, if you’re not going to see this with the parental unit, watch Strange Darling. You won’t regret it.
Soup Rating 8.5/10
