What would you do if one night of harmless fun, living out your wildest sexual fantasies, turned into a sudden life-or-death situation that brought you face-to-face with a serial killer? That’s the dilemma for The Demon, portrayed by Kyle Gallner (The Passenger and Smile), and The Lady, portrayed by Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher and The Fall of the House of Usher), when the two realize the night isn’t ending how either intended on Strange Darling.
Gallner is one actor whose name immediately makes my ears perk up whenever I hear it in a new film or TV series announcement. Partly because of his long list of acting credits and his presence in many of my favorite films or TV series, but mainly because of his ability to bring a certain aura to whatever he features. He only gets better with each passing project, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see him star opposite Fitzgerald on the big screen, and boy, am I glad I didn’t!
Staying spoiler-free, Strange Darling is a series of fun twist-and-turns from beginning to end that constantly keep its audience guessing what’s to come next. Conveying the story in a non-linear timeline, it begins with Chapter 3/6 and continues to jump between different points in the timeline before exposing the significant conclusion. Doing so only provides further justice for its effects to seep in for the audience, slowly chipping away at the outer exterior of the film’s core.
There’s a reason why, at the time of my posting this review, it has a 95% certified fresh Tomatometer and 85% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes.
In true fashion for any excellent horror-thriller film, there’s a notable twist in the third act, and despite some of the controversy online about whether it’s an easily foreseeable moment, it’s undeniably entertaining nonetheless. It brings about a new sensation in viewers and flips the narrative of the film upside down.
Willa Fitzgerald’s performance as The Lady, a seductive, mysterious character that keeps the mysterious allure with each passing chapter, is impeccable. Her talent isn’t something we’re only just introduced to, but in this role, we’re seeing her play a more psychologically complex character, giving her the freedom to showcase her acting capabilities.
Matt Aberle, music supervisor, and Craig DeLeon, composer, understood each intrinsic detail of the film, and their musical directions effortlessly became one of the best aspects to hone in on while watching.
JT Mollner, writer and director, created a timeless masterpiece that is bound to become a classic hit. The different color compositions and variants he uses have a way of teleporting the audience to a separate realm outside of the nitty-gritty fingernail-biting sequences of the two’s hunter and prey trope.
Fitzgerald and Gallner’s chemistry together is palpable, sexy, and tantalizing, making the game’s subtle cat-and-mouse trope and twists in the narrative even sweeter, and the suspense is insatiating. I hope to see the two share the screen again in the future.
Outside of minute moments where I felt like the audio levels increasing for dramatic effect were unwarranted, Strange Darling lives up to the hype buzzing online for the past few weeks!
If you can check it out while it’s still in theaters, I highly recommend it because it’s clear Mollner’s vision for the film was for it to be experienced on the big screen.
