Nothing is what it seems in JT Mollner's vulnerable yet unflinchingly violent second feature offering Strange Darling. Starring genre favourite Kyle Gallner and The Fall of the House of Usher star Willa Fitzgerald, the film has garnered quite the buzz following its premiere at Fantastic Fest 2023 thanks to its cryptic trailers and marketing that give little away about its central plot. But lucky attendees at FrightFest 2024 finally got to experience the twisty thrill ride for themselves at its international premiere.
Strange Darling is told through six chapters, beginning with The Demon (Gallner) on a relentless pursuit of The Woman (Fitzgerald) during a high-speed car chase, following the bloodied and broken woman to a seemingly abandoned house in a rural area. He stalks from room to room as The Woman hides, terrified and wondering how a one-night stand could go so wrong. In her own words – ‘Do you have any idea the risks a woman like her takes to have a little fun?'
But as the layers of Strange Darling slowly unfold, it becomes clear that viewers simply cannot take anything they see or learn about these characters at face value as there is always more than first meets the eye. Mollner masterfully crafts a chilling, unpredictable narrative that slowly unfolds with so much drama and intrigue that it keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. Its non-linear approach to storytelling helps to keep the audience in a constant state of disorientation, with a creeping sense of dread permeating every scene after the opening titles state Strange Darling chronicles the end of a serial killer's murderous spree.
Without strong central performances, Strange Darling would be nothing but endless twists with no real sense of anything at stake. But thankfully, the small ensemble cast delivers some of the most complex and engaging performances of 2024. Gallner is imposing in every scene as The Demon, switching from a cold, calculating hunter to an affable, caring date in the blink of an eye in a thoroughly alarming way. Despite Gallner's dominance, it is Fitzgerald who steals the show as the mysterious, troubled Woman in what could be one of the defining performances of her career.
Strange Darling lives up to the promise of being one of the wildest thrillers viewers will have ever seen. It veers in unpredictable directions with little warning, taking viewers on an exploration of lust, desire, and obsession that is equal parts vulnerable and raw as it is cold-blooded and vicious. Come here, kitty kitty, and enjoy what is sure to be one of the top films of the year.
Strange Darling had its international premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Saturday, August 24
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