Arriving in UK cinemas this week is the dark thriller, Strange Darling. The movie – written and directed by JT Mollner – stars Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr., and centres its story around a serial killer.
Set in rural Oregon, the film focuses on the final murders by the killer, who between 2018 and 2020 embarked on a prolific murder spree. During the course of Strange Darling, the killer’s story is presented via a collection of seven segments (six chapters and an epilogue), all set out in a non-linear fashion.
Due to the nature of the story, as well as its structure, I don’t want to give away too many details about the plot because this would spoil things. Discussing it in any kind of detail would perhaps give away too much, especially if you’re not at all familiar with Strange Darling.
The important thing for me to say is, it’s good. It’s very good.
And it’s worth pointing out that because Strange Darling jumps around the timeline as much as it does, it offers up a few surprises. In fact, it takes a couple of chapters for the overall picture to become clear and for the penny to drop on what’s going on, and this may catch some audiences off guard.
Suffice to say, going into this movie with very little knowledge is arguably the best thing. You’ll then be rewarded with an intriguing picture, which unspools in suspenseful ways with plenty of action and thrills.
You also get a beautifully shot film with two excellent central performances from Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is particularly strong, offering up a turn which shows multiple facets to her character.
Overall, Strange Darling is one of those films I really want to talk about in depth, but at the same time I really don’t, as I don’t want to ruin anyone’s enjoyment of the picture. The film’s twists and turns are a big part of its appeal, as are its two leads, so I’m treading lightly.
But what you have with this film is something which explores the dark, twisted side of life, toxic relationships, and the ultimate game of cat and mouse. It has occasional flecks of Natural Born Killers and Promising Young Woman, while completely doing its own thing and doing it rather well.
If you’re a fan of disturbing thrillers, you can catch Strange Darling in UK cinemas from Friday 20th September.
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