‘Strange Darling’ Review: Pretty Much a Perfect Thriller

What is Strange Darling About?

Strange Darling is one of those movies where it’s best if you watch it knowing as little as possible about the story. If you’ve seen the trailer, then that’s enough. Don’t dig any deeper. If you haven’t seen the trailer and want to know vaguely what it’s about, here is a very basic description of the movie’s initial setup that doesn’t give away anything other than what you see in the trailer and what is revealed in the movie’s opening text crawl (which gives very strong Texas Chain Saw Massacre opening crawl vibes).

Strange Darling tells the story of the final murders carried out by a notorious serial killer. As the movie opens, we see an expanded version of some of the footage shown in the trailers: A woman is being chased through a rural setting by a man with a rifle. The opening credits roll, and when they’re over, we are shown text which tells us that Strange Darling is a thriller told in six chapters. What we’ve just seen happens in one of the middle chapters, so from there the story unfolds in a nonlinear way, jumping forward and backward in time to the different chapters.

JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels, 2016) wrote and directed Strange Darling, and Giovanni Ribisi—best known for his many acting roles—was the Director of Photography. Willa Fitzgerald (The Fall of the House of Usher, Reacher) and Kyle Gallner (The Passenger, Smile) star as the woman and man described above. Also featured in memorable roles are Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr.

Strange Darling Review

Okay, so, I understand that I just made a big deal about the importance of not knowing anything about Strange Darling before you see it for the first time (and I stand by that statement), but I also need to strongly emphasize the fact that this movie is not dependent upon surprises to be good. Meaning, after you watch it once and put everything in chronological order in your head, it’s still an amazing film to go back and watch again and again. The surprises you’re in store for during your first viewing have a huge impact, but with that knowledge, subsequent viewings allow you to see events and characters in different ways which illuminates just how clever and well-made this movie is.

Talking about surprises and piecing events together might make it sound like Strange Darling is a mystery, but it isn’t. Not really. There are mysterious elements to it, but the point isn’t to solve it like a puzzle. As director JT Mollner himself said in an AMA on Reddit, “Strange Darling is meant to be seen and felt.” And the “feeling” part of that statement should be emphasized. This movie will make you feel all sorts of things.

While trying to remain as vague as possible about the story and plot, it’s safe to say that—rather than a mystery—this movie is a parade of subversions. Modern audiences have come to expect a certain amount of subversion in films, so that’s not necessarily a surprise. But the way Strange Darling masterfully plays with audience expectations, sometimes repeatedly about the same idea, is beautiful to watch. Even if you try to outguess the movie and end up getting it right from time to time, the way the story progresses is so smart that it’s always a pleasure to watch regardless of whether or not you know what’s coming. The non-chronological structure of the film is essential to making it all work in the best way possible by withholding information until just the right moment, sometimes teasing it out gradually and sometimes announcing it in a sudden, shocking moment.

Strange Darling is also so effective because of the fantastic performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. I won’t go into details about their relationship to each other, but their characters play off of each other incredibly well. Their conversations are tinged with subtext (and some not-so-subtle-text) and are completely engrossing. As the characters are trying to get a read on each other, the audience is doing the same thing. And then, when the situation takes a turn for the violent, both actors throw themselves fully into the fray. These are defining performances for both of them.

Not to be left out, Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. are wonderful surprises. They don’t have a ton of screen time in comparison to the film’s two stars, but their placement in the proceedings helps elevate an already great movie. By the time Ed and Barbara’s characters show up, Strange Darling is already in full swing. Then, their characters move into the picture at a leisurely pace and with an abundance of humor. It might sound odd when trying to describe it with no specific details, but these two characters provide something that is in such stark contrast to what we’ve seen up to that point, that it enhances the entire experience. It’s like adding a little salt to something sweet, thereby making it exponentially better. They’re so good.

And finally, it should be pointed out that Strange Darling looks great. During the opening credits we are made aware that the movie was shot on 35mm film, and that dedication to film absolutely pays off. The colors are bright, and there is a slightly gritty edge that makes it feel like a classic serial-killer film. This was Giovanni Ribisi’s first feature as a director of photography, and his choices are the perfect complement to JT Mollner’s script and direction.

Strange Darling Rating and Recommendation

Further Reading

• In a Violent Nature Review
• Model House Review
• Night Shift Review
• Serial Killer Movies
• Romantic Horror Movies