Strange Darling has amassed plenty of buzz following its premiere at Fantastic Fest 2023 thanks to its twisty narrative that refuses to give viewers and relief from its violent, full-throttle narrative and intense characters hiding more secrets than you could possibly imagine. But that's not its only draw, with its small ensemble cast featuring Smile, Jennifer's Body, and The Passenger alum Kyle Gallner as well as Fall Of the House of Usher and Scream TV series star Willa Fitzgerald.
The duo star as The Demon and The Woman respectively, with us joining the carnage of Strange Darling as The Demon stalks The Woman into an abandoned house toting a gun, while she cries, whimpers, and bleeds with every frenzied step she takes. But as many might already assume, there is more to this cat-and-mouse chase than meets the eye as viewers are taken through a tale in six (non-linear) parts to uncover just how an innocuous one-night stand could deteriorate into murder.
Ahead of Strange Darling's international premiere at FrightFest 2024, and its UK cinema release date on September 20, Reacher star Fitzgerald opened up on her first impression of JT Mollner's explosive script, telling FILMHOUNDS: ‘It is a perfect script. It's written impeccably well, and with clarity and specificity which I don't think I've ever seen in any other script I've ever read – and I've read a lot of scripts.
‘I just remember having an overwhelming desire to play that part, and also, at the same time, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety at tackling that part. I think as an artist, you kind of have to lean into the things that you're afraid of. I think that there was something that I found quite scary about the script when I read it and I just kind of leaned into that.'
You can watch her full interview below, where she discusses getting vulnerable for some of the Strange Darling's more intimate scenes, how she got into the zone when becoming The Woman, and living with Gallner during filming.
Watch our video interview here:
Strange Darling has its international premiere at FrightFest 2024 on August 24. It will be released in UK cinemas on September 20.
