Strange Darling: Film Review
Strange Darling was not on my radar at all until Film Twitter seemed to talk about it non-stop. Thanks to the glowing word-of-mouth praise, I checked this out and discovered one of my favourite films of the year so far.
The film, written and directed by JT Mollner, presents itself as a dramatisation of real events, with the prologue explaining that it depicts the final incidents in a serial killer’s murder spree across the U.S. between 2018 and 2020. Set in rural Oregon, the story stars Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner as the Lady and the Demon, who become involved in a cat-and-mouse murder chase after a one-night stand.
The thriller is divided into six chapters presented in a non-linear fashion. I usually prefer stories to be told chronologically but Strange Darling wouldn’t have worked any other way. The structure makes the reveals more surprising and impactful. I was hooked immediately because I loved the opening scroll, the overall vibe and the opening credits shot of the Lady running through a field toward the camera. Also, it launched us straight into the action – a chase – and I had no idea what was happening. Slowly but surely, the puzzle pieces come together to fill in the gaps in context so you can eventually see the full picture.
Usually when films have been hyped up on social media, it can only lead to disappointment when you see it for yourself. That didn’t happen here – my expectations were high and I still absolutely loved it. I had no idea what it was about and it took so many clever and unexpected turns. It challenges your preconceived ideas about people and subverts the norm. It was exciting, gripping and well-written and also no slouch in the technical department, with great cinematography (by actor Giovanni Ribisi), sound design and score.
While the structure does a lot of the work, the film still hinges upon the two lead performances. Fitzgerald and Gallner do a fantastic job navigating their characters’ unexpected story arcs and the shifts in power and control between them. Gallner’s character transformation is subtle, allowing Fitzgerald to be the star. I’ve never seen this actress in anything before and she is now someone I’ll look out for. Her work is staggeringly good. I also want to give a shout-out to Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. for playing odd hippies in a remote house.
You think you know what Strange Darling will be about and where it’ll go but it constantly surprises you. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
In cinemas from Friday 20th September