Strange Darling

Cast View all

	Willa Fitzgerald	The Lady
	Kyle Gallner	The Demon
	Madisen Beaty	Gale
	Bianca A. Santos	Tanya
	Steven Michael Quezada	Pete
	Ed Begley Jr.	Frederick
	Barbara Hershey	Genevieve
	Denise Grayson	Libby
	Eugenia Kuzmina	Beth
	Duke Mollner	Roughneck
	Sheri Foster	The Driver
	Andrew John Segal	Steve
	Jason Patric	True Crime Narrator
	Giovanni Ribisi	Art Pallone
	Robert Craighead	Mitchell Mahoney

Crew View all

Director	JT Mollner
Writer	JT Mollner
Producer	Bill Block, Chris Ivan Cevic, Ezra Emanuel, Amanda Harvey, Dan Lawler, Roy Lee, Michael Milton, Laurent Ouaknine, Giovanni Ribisi, Steven Schneider, Bob Yari, Thom Zadra, michael J. Zampino
Musician	Craig DeLeon
Photography	Giovanni Ribisi

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Notes

My quick rating - 6.9/10. I was immediately welcomed with an intriguing note—"Shot entirely on 35MM film"—which immediately conveys the attention to detail in the movie's production. This sets the tone for a unique experience as the film takes a non-traditional approach to storytelling. I went in blind, avoiding trailers, which added to the tension as the action started immediately, drawing you into its twisted world. One of the more distinctive features of this flick is its use of chapter numbers to label scenes. Starting with Chapter 3, then jumping to Chapter 5, it felt jarring at first, but the reason behind this choice becomes clear as the story unfolds, cleverly told out of chronological order. This approach, reminiscent of Tarantino’s style, keeps you engaged as you piece together the events. The characters are far from ordinary or heroic. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner deliver standout performances as "The Lady" and "The Demon," and their dynamic carries much of the tension and atmosphere. While it’s a low-budget film, it doesn't suffer in terms of quality acting or intensity. The chemistry between these two leads drives the film, especially as their one-night stand spirals into a vicious murder spree. Though the narrative structure might feel familiar to fans of similar films, where the non-linear timeline is a puzzle, it doesn’t diminish the movie’s impact. The thriller element is more pronounced than the horror, and while it’s not a slasher, the film doesn’t shy away from brutality when necessary, using violence as a tool to punctuate its story. This is not for those looking for clear-cut heroes or predictable twists. It's a gritty, well-orchestrated horror-thriller that leans more toward psychological intensity than outright scares, making it a worthwhile watch for those who enjoy unconventional narratives.

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