Strange Darling (2024, dir. JT Mollner)

by Jack Martin | Sep 19, 2024

Certificate: 18

Running Time: 97 mins

UK Distributor: Icon Film Distribution

UK Release Date: 20 September 2024

WHO’S IN STRANGE DARLING?

Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr, Madisen Beaty, Bianca Santos, Steven Michael Quezada, Sheri Foster, Jason Patric, Giovanni Ribisi

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

JT Mollner (director, writer), Giovanni Ribisi (producer, cinematographer), Bill Block, Chris Ivan Cevic, Roy Lee and Steven Schneider (producers), Craig DeLeon (composer), Christopher Robin Bell (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A young woman (Fitzgerald) is chased by a dangerous serial killer (Gallner) – but nothing is quite as it seems…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON STRANGE DARLING?

When utilised correctly, non-linear storytelling can be its own artform. Some filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Charlie Kaufman have figured out a number of ingenious ways to tell specific stories out of chronological order, but often you’ll find others who simply apply the non-linear format as a gimmick, without really understanding that it is something which needs to be carefully constructed rather than just used to cynically replicate the work of much better artists.

Luckily, JT Mollner isn’t one of the latter filmmakers. His second feature, Strange Darling, is a meticulously crafted cat-and-mouse thriller that uses the out-of-sequence narrative device on a seemingly straightforward plot that, as it goes back and forth, paints a much more surprising picture than one could expect. The results are fittingly strong, and it makes for an engaging ride that you’ll want to revisit time and time again.

Divided into six chapters, Strange Darling begins with Chapter 3. In it, a young woman known only as “the Lady” (Willa Fitzgerald), with utter fear across her bloodied face, is shown running away from an armed man credited as “the Demon” (Kyle Gallner). Opening text dictates that the film is a dramatized recreation of the final days of a notorious serial killer’s mass murdering spree, so it appears that the Lady is trying to stop herself from being the Demon’s latest victim.

But then, we get to see the remaining five chapters (all out of order, naturally). It’s from this point onwards that the film reveals a much more complicated scenario than the seemingly straightforward one that we are introduced to. Of course, what they reveal will not be divulged in this review, but rest assured that things are not at all what they seem, and it makes Strange Darling all the more captivating as we learn more about certain people, their backstories, and even their inner most desires in conjunction to the unfolding events.

Mollner gives each non-linear reveal all the time that it needs to resonate with the viewer, whether it’s shown through some of its striking visuals – shot by actor-turned-cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi on 35mm film, as stated at the very start of the film – or via paragraphs of dialogue that only occasionally threatens to plunge itself into overly descriptive student film territory. Each time, though, it always feels like you’re watching a story play out as naturally as it can, without the non-linear approach feeling like it’s there because it’s the trendy thing to do.

A film like this could so easily be seen as trite and even pretentious in the hands of a less inclined filmmaker, but Mollner largely prevents his narrative from falling victim to easy self-indulgence by keeping a steady pace across all six out-of-order chapters, during which he playfully subverts a number of expectations right in the middle of some rather intense confrontations. The film also flaunts a twisted sense of humour in moments that might otherwise seem like it’s about to go down a much more disturbing path, with even aspects of the rather bloody violence scoring an uncomfortable laugh from the sheer absurdity of the situation.

So much of the intensity that you feel while watching Strange Darling comes from the pure strength of its two central performances. As the Demon, Gallner perhaps has less character work to play around with than his counterpart, but the actor – who always looks like he’s an alternate universe version of Dave Franco – has an intimidating presence that can also transition towards something more sensitive whenever he needs to, and to a point you feel his ferocity seeping out of every crevice as he throws every bit of himself into this dangerous mindset. Then, there’s Fitzgerald, who as the Lady operates on a whole other level as she injects her own dose of fierceness into a role that becomes more and more unpredictable as she goes along. After a while of simply running for her life, she brings out a cool sense of charisma that makes her such a fascinating entity to watch, which is in its own way similar to Jessica Rothe’s own breakout performance in the Happy Death Day movies, though Fitzgerald here has arguably less comedic material at her disposal.

The main thing to take away from this review for Strange Darling, as it surely is for virtually every other review out there for it, is to go in knowing as little as possible, other than the fact that it’s a pretty good movie. Even if you do end up figuring out what some of the bigger twists may be, it’s still such a fun ride that takes you back and forth on a wild and unpredictable journey that does not let up until the closing moments. Mollner and with his two formidable leads are exceptionally skilled in giving the viewer the kind of thrill ride that they’re seeking from a movie like this, but also the storytelling smarts to support their vision which completely justifies the non-linear approach, and then some.

Unlike a lot of movies that are chronologically presented out of order, Strange Darling doesn’t feel like a cheap gimmick, using the device to its own benefit in ways that keep the viewer guessing, even when it appears to be giving you what you think are the answers. The likes of Tarantino, Nolan and Kaufman may well yet have another member ready to join their non-linear ranks.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Strange Darling is a captivating thriller that uses the non-linear storytelling approach to its full advantage, creating an unpredictable and engrossing narrative that’s boosted by meticulous filmmaking and strong central performances.