JP Nunez
Ever since Strange Darling made its way onto my radar, I’ve been hearing two things about it: this movie is amazing, and you need to go into it as blind as possible. Even 25YL’s own Sean Parker said that in his FrightFest review of the film, so as my screening got closer and closer, my excitement and curiosity grew to a fever pitch. I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about, and now that I finally have, you can add my name to the growing list of voices reiterating those two crucial points. Strange Darling is one of the best horror movies of 2024, and you absolutely have to avoid spoilers at all costs.
Strange Darling was written and directed by JT Mollner, and it stars Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr. In the film, two strangers, known only as the Lady and the Demon, meet for a casual hookup. At first, the night seems to go almost unbelievably well, but it eventually takes a dark turn into chaotic violence.
I normally give longer plot synopses than that, but I can’t say much more without giving away some of the movie’s surprises. It’s simply that twisty and unpredictable, so for the rest of this review, I’m going to be as vague as possible. Just about the only other thing I can say is that the story is divided into six chapters and an epilogue, but unlike most films, these chapters aren’t shown in chronological order.
Instead, Strange Darling opts for a non-linear narrative structure, and it begins right in the middle, with the Demon chasing the Lady. Normally, you want a bit of character development before you get to the action, but the performances here are so good you don’t need to know anything about these people.
The Lady is played brilliantly by Willa Fitzgerald, and as you can probably guess, this poor woman is not having a very good time in the opening scene. She looks like she’s fleeing for her life, and Fitzgerald makes you feel every ounce of her character’s pain and anxiety.
In contrast, the Demon, brought to life equally well by Kyle Gallner, is a man on a mission. The guy’s mannerisms and facial expressions leave no doubt that he only has one thing on his mind–finding his prey and killing her–and he’s not going to let anything stand in his way.
That’s just the first chapter, and as Strange Darling goes through its narrative twists and turns, the two lead performances change as well. I obviously can’t tell you how, but I can say that neither of these actors loses a single step along the way. Fitzgerald and Gallner are both utterly captivating from start to finish, so if horror wasn’t constantly overlooked by the academy, they’d most likely get some serious Oscar consideration.
On top of those amazing lead characters, the horror in Strange Darling is also top-notch. The action is utterly thrilling, the tension is so thick it could fit into the A Quiet Place franchise, and writer/director JT Mollner lets the blood flow pretty freely a number of times. What’s more, when we skip back to the beginning of the story, the non-linear structure gives those chronologically earlier scenes a nearly Hitchcockian appeal.
You’ve seen where these characters end up, so the whole meetup feels like a ticking time bomb. You know it’s going to explode eventually, but you’re not sure when, so you spend the entire time just waiting for the situation to turn south. It’s a perfect mix of predictability and uncertainty, so the setup here is almost as thrilling as the payoff.
That alone makes this odd and (to some viewers) potentially off-putting story structure totally worthwhile, but it’s not the only boost Strange Darling gets from throwing convention to the wind. Seeing this narrative play out non-linearly also makes the film feel like a quasi-anthology, and as a big fan of anthologies, I loved that.
To be fair, anthologies aren’t necessarily better than more unified narratives, but the vibe totally works here. Each chapter is a new beginning for this story, so whenever the movie takes a big chronological leap, you almost can’t help but sit up and pay closer attention than you were a minute or two ago.
But above all else, the unorthodox layout of Strange Darling amplifies the impact of its numerous twists and turns. If you haven’t seen the film, that may sound a bit counterintuitive, but trust me, JT Mollner totally pulls it off. The story seems tailor-made for this unique structure, so the surprises come at just the right times and in just the right order.
Now, I obviously can’t tell you what those surprises are, but I can say that you almost certainly won’t see them coming. At best, there’s a moment when the movie starts to hint at a twist that’s right around the corner, so you might figure that one out around 30 seconds before it comes. But other than that, you’ll be guessing the whole way through.
It’s a totally wild ride, and for my money, Strange Darling is the smartest film I’ve seen in a while. It’s meticulously crafted and almost perfectly executed, so if you’re looking for some good new horror to watch, I highly, highly recommend that you check this movie out.
Strange Darling is playing in theaters right now.
