Strange Darling | Film Review

 

A one-night stand turns into a serial killer's murder spree.

I've seen this poster so many times since the film came out, but I never really had any desire to see it and didn't really know what it was about. So when I decided to watch it, it was completely on a whim.

I really liked this film - it was so much better than I expected!

The story is told in a really interesting way. The non-linear narrative reminded me of the film 'Weapons' in showing how successful it can be to tell stories in a different order. Both of the films make it work really well, and it definitely helps to sustain the audience's excitement.

The actors have a really unique chemistry; it's not exactly romantic or scary or dramatic, but for some reason it works really well. They play off each other well, it's really fun to watch them together, and the audience immediately believes in the authenticity of their relationship (or lack thereof).

Speaking of fun, the whole film is a fun watch, which is a really weird adjective to use here. Before you really understand what's happening, you genuinely like the characters - and once you know what's happening, you're even more compelled by them.

Ultimately the film works because of how good the actors are. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner completely own their roles and are so good! Gallner in particular continues to be an amazing Scream King and I love that.

Nothing about this film is typical - each scene takes a new direction that makes the overall product feel so original and unique. At no point could I correctly guess what was coming next.

This is a great, underrated twisty thriller that's definitely worth a watch!

8/10