There I was, in the theater, anxiously waiting for Alien Romulus to start when I saw the trailer for this movie. I instantly knew that I was going to love it but I also knew they gave away a lot of the plot in that trailer. So, if you want to avoid spoilers simply dive into this one, it won’t disappoint you. Well, more about that later. Strange Darling is a snappy, visually impactful, and quite gripping neo-noir thriller about a game of cat and mouse. About a game of cat and mouse between a half-nude girl and a menacing guy with a gun. It tells a non-linear story unfolding in real-time and divided into chapters.
A sexually-charged story featuring a lot of smoking, drugs, and violence. And twists, we shouldn’t forget about twists. Strange Darling is one of those movies both the professional film critics and regular moviegoers liked. Just in case you didn’t get the message that this is one of those edgy and artsy movies you should be drooling about, there’s a nice reminder that’s going to greet you as soon as you play it. It says: Shot entirely on 35mm film. This is something I usually stumble upon while reading trivia sections. At this point, I must tell you that this is not a masterpiece that’s going to blow you away.
This is a good movie and it’s worth watching, all I ask of you is not to succumb to the hype surrounding it. Ideally, you’re reading these lines in 2026 and wondering what kind of hype is this stoner talking about. Moving on, the movie also toys with the breaking of the fourth wall but something else is going to grab your attention immediately. This is a visually alluring and aesthetically pleasing venture into neo-noir. If we’re not stumbling through piercing-green ancient forests we’re lit by neon signs or partying in motel rooms. All of these places are quite familiar.
Hell, one of the best neo-noir movies I’ve seen recently, Bad Times at the El Royale, entirely takes place at a motel. The cinematographer is none other than actor Giovanni Ribisi (Friends, Gone in 60 Seconds). His style reminds me a lot of Roger Deakins, a true legend who stands behind such masterpieces as Blade Runner 2049, 1917, and Jarhead. There’s another movie that’s more than just visually similar to Strange Darling and that’s Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 thriller Revenge. We have pretty much the same elements: blood, sexually-charged atmosphere, minimal cast, and a lot more graphic violence.
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, is it not? I have to say that I’m not sure whether Strange Darling leaned into all of the quirky edginess you see before you. Who knows, maybe it leaned in too much and came out the other end. Ultimately, I think that this would’ve been a great movie even without all those gimmicks like non-linear storytelling and chapters. Especially when you consider the performances. I am so fucking happy Kyle Gallner has fucking made it. I’ve been telling you guys that he’s going places and here he finally is. I highly recommend you check out his performances in Red, Alien Code, and The Cleansing Hour.
Willa Fitzgerald was just as good and I guess we should keep an eye on her in the future. In fact, I fear she might steal the spotlight off my boy Kyle as she’s the lead here. Plus, she’s like half-nude almost the entire movie and I know what that means. It was also nice to see Steven Michael Quezada (Gomie from Breaking Bad) and two veritable legends Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. Strange Darling is a fun but ultimately forgettable thriller and there’s nothing wrong with that. Not every movie has to have some deep and profound message or something like that.
It clearly draws a lot from both the above-mentioned Fargeat’s masterpiece and Ty West’s stylish trilogy X, Pearl, and Maxxxine. Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 Death Proof features a similar vibe. Mostly because it feels like a retro grindhouse feature. I know that the hype is going to create high expectations so I would ask you to lower them immediately. It’s kind of hard to keep in mind the fact that this is still a relatively low-budget indie release. A dazzling slasher that feels quite comfortable in its own skin. And is dressed to impress for lack of a better term.
This is practically what JT Mollner, writer and director of Strange Darling said. Here’s his direct quote:
I was drawn to the image of this final girl running through the woods. And I kept seeing that, and I knew it was a trope, except the way I saw it was there was dressing on the image that I saw, that that made it unique to me, the scrubs and the music and the frame rate, the slow motion I wanted to shoot, and the lens.
He’s another one of these young directors you should keep your eye on. And I already downloaded, I mean, scheduled for streaming, his previous movie Outlaws and Angels.
Director: JT Mollner
Writer: JT Mollner
Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Bianca A. Santos, Steven Michael Quezada, Ed Begley Jr., Barbara Hershey
Fun Facts: Despite its claims, Strange Darling is not based on true events. Warning, spoilers ahead: there are number of cases that bear a striking resemblance to the story told here but I think that Peterborough ditch murders are the closest match.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22375054/
