Strange Darling

Starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr.

Director: JT Mollner

The Lady (Fitzgerald) runs for her life from The Demon (Gallner) after a one-night stand goes wrong.

That is the shortest plot summary I have ever written and it's with good reason. I apologize in advance for how vague this review is going to be, but this is a movie with a plot that is best left unspoiled,

Unfolding across six nonlinear chapters, the tension is first-rate as it throws us right into the story as Fitzgerald's The Lady speeds away in a car from Gallner's Demon who is in hot pursuit. From there, we are treated to a Blue Ruin level of tension as the twists begin to pile up. I was on the edge of my seat as each new chapter began.

Director JT Mollner deserves a lot of credit, writing a tight script that keeps each twist cleverly hidden as the story progresses. Sure, it feels very experimental at time and telling the story through out of sequence chapters is a pretentious storytelling device. But this is one of the more effective uses I've seen even if it does undercut itself at times, as we learn some characters fates before we shown what happened.

This is the type of film that lives or dies on its performances. Fortunately, Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner are more than up to the task. Fitzgerald's character is far from the damsel in distress she could have been and even though Gallner is menacing in his dogged pursuit of her character, there is more to his character and he might have more of a reason to be after Fitzgerald than it appears on first glance. The two also share an incredible scene in a hotel room that features one of the best examples in recent memory of character development. While they are ultimately very different, I couldn't help but be reminded of 2022's Sanctuary. Both are well-acted and character-driven chamber pieces where the characters and their motivations aren't quite what they seem.

In what may seem like an interesting pivot, actor Giovanni Ribisi serves as cinematographer. Shot on 35mm, the movie looks great. Ribisi has a good cinematic eye and helps Mollner build tension through some uncomfortable close-ups and playing with depth of field.

I really hope people check out this hidden gem. The tension is great and the twists are well written and clever. The actors are fantastic and keep you continuously guessing what their true intentions are. Check it out and try to go in as unspoiled as possible!

Grade: B+