The Big Picture

Willa Fitzgerald shines in a career-defining performance that requires incredible range.
J.T. Mollner’s script cleverly reveals unexpected layers and themes, keeping the audience engaged.
Giovanni Ribisi’s cinematography adds to the film’s immersive visual language, enhancing the experience.

I always hate it when people say, “Go in blind! The less you know about this movie before you watch it, the better.” I’m the kind of person who looks up the menu before I go to any restaurant — I like to be prepared, okay? And if having a rough synopsis of a film is going to ruin the entire moviegoing experience, then I have to assume the film probably wasn’t all that great to begin with anyway. If the novelty of a twist is the only impressive thing about it, then we have bigger problems.

With Strange Darling, however, I am going to make an exception and become the kind of person I despise when I tell you: Go in blind. The less you know about this movie before you watch it, the better. It wouldn’t spoil the entire experience — it holds up in every respect — but the film manages to play with expectations in a way that makes it almost an interactive game instead of just a film. It demands to be experienced in real-time, and it demands to be experienced twice. Because Strange Darling is really two movies in one: the story you think you’re watching and the story you’re actually watching. And both are a hell of a lot of fun.

Strange Darling (2024) A twisted one-night stand spirals into a deadly game of cat and mouse when a relentless predator chases an injured woman through the Oregon wilderness.Release Date August 23, 2024 Director JT Mollner Runtime 96 Minutes

What Is ‘Strange Darling’ About?
Image via Magneta Light Studios

One of Strange Darling’s biggest strengths is its focused and economical nature. There are only two main characters, named simply The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) and The Demon (Kyle Gallner). The two start their night on a date — one that starts rather sweet and innocent but gets kinky fast. The sensual, consensual violence, however, quickly turns very real as the encounter devolves into a deadly game of cat and mouse. It feels reminiscent of the equally excellent and risk-taking Fresh in that it successfully sets up a romance you can genuinely root for before taking a hard left turn into becoming a depraved survival horror.

‘Strange Darling’ Is A Magic Trick of a Movie

I’m always wary when films decide to experiment with elaborate structures, as they can feel gimmicky and indulgent, existing only to distract from an overly simplistic, convoluted, or downright weak script. Luckily, the way Strange Darling manipulates time feels fresh and enhances its storytelling, acting as a perfectly intentional puzzle that reveals a unique picture at the end. The film is divided into six chapters, opening with the third in the sequence. We then jump to five, go back to one, skip to four, rewind to two, and then culminate with part six and a short epilogue.

Seem confusing? It surprisingly isn’t. It certainly could be in less capable hands, but writer-director J.T. Mollner’s clear, confident storytelling makes the abrupt jumps shockingly easy to follow and keep straight in our heads — a great thing considering the film is making our brains swirl with a million questions as we get deeper into things. Who have we been trained to see as a villain? Who have we been primed to view as a damsel in distress? Why do we find it so difficult to shed these preconceived notions even when all the evidence is pointing to a different reality? Where is the line between pushing the limits of sexual desire and going too far, and who gets to decide? Strange Darling is a magic trick, showing you its cards up front and leaving your mind to fill in the blanks while it subtly performs a sleight of hand.

Strange Darling also has a specific and stylish visual language, making us look at things in a new way while paying homage to the classics, with cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi seamlessly and immersively capturing the vibes of ‘70s genre classics. There’s a sickly, almost unsettlingly bright colorization to the rural scenes — the Midsommar effect — and the interior shots are sleek and sexy while charged with danger. From the black-and-white bookends to the red lighting of the motel bathroom, everything feels both intentional and effortless. Even the font choices and the way the credits flash onscreen add to the carefully curated throwback aesthetic. The same can be said for the music choices, with the score and needle drops alike elevating every scene.

In a Perfect World, Willa Fitzgerald Would Be in Serious Oscar Conversation for ‘Strange Darling’
Image via Magenta Light Studios

Despite its strong script and craftspeople, Strange Darling simply wouldn’t work without an equally impressive cast. While the story is innovative, it also asks a lot from its performers to sell that innovation. Luckily, everyone is more than up for the challenge. One rare, delightful detour in the film comes in the form of a hippie couple who lives in the mountains consisting of Frederick (Ed Begley Jr.) and Genevieve (Barbara Hershey). Mollner makes us immediately care about these two over a breakfast sequence for the books. They smartly expand the world we’ve only really seen The Lady and The Demon occupy and act as crucial foreshadowing while still managing to feel like real people instead of mere plot devices.

Gallner is excellent as The Demon, playing him with a chilling groundedness. Even so, he oozes a down-to-earth charisma and smooth-talking charm. Gallner commands the screen whenever he’s on it, his mere demeanor and presence enough to make your heart race with anticipation of what he might do next — what he might be capable of.

Related ‘The Passenger’ Review: Kyle Gallner Kills It Though this gruesome thriller plays things a little too close to the chest, strong performances bring something more to an often superficial story.

But no matter how good everyone else is — and believe me, they are all phenomenal — this is unquestionably Fitzgerald’s movie. The range required from this role can’t be underestimated, nor can how effortless Fitzgerald makes it seem. She oscillates between experiencing quiet, blood-chilling terror and intense manic rage that occasionally veers into pitch-perfect, pitch-black comedy territory. She dives in fully, becoming unrecognizable at times — from herself as an actor and the character we think we’ve come to know. Her committed, contorted facial expressions and almost animalistic acting she does with her body — shaking and twisting and convulsing — is a tour de force and that of a legend in the making. In a just world, she’d be getting serious Oscar buzz and receive a nomination at the very least.

Deception is the name of the game with Strange Darling. The layers of the plot, its characters, and its themes slowly reveal themselves, unfolding with clever nuance coupled with masterful technique. The more the film proves that everything is not as it seems, the more Mollner and Fitzgerald prove themselves as singular talents to watch.

REVIEW Strange Darling (2024) ‘Strange Darling’ smartly plays with audience expectations while making a star out of Willa Fitzgerald.ProsWilla Fitzgerald gives a career-defining performance you have to see to believe.J.T. Mollner’s script is a clever puzzle that continues to reveal unexpected layers and themes.Giovanni Ribisi’s cinematography is stylized and immersive, giving the film an impressive visual language.

Strange Darling comes to theaters in the U.S. starting August 23. Click below for showtimes near you.

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