STRANGE DARLING

A solid B-flick that isn’t nearly as twisty or innovative as it thinks it is, Strange Darling nevertheless delivers suitably pulpy thrills, an engaging narrative and pleasingly old-school cinematography.

I went into Strange Darling cold, without even watching as much as a trailer, as I was warned by friends and critics alike that the picture is best discovered without any preconceived notions. Having seen the film now, I agree. The movie does work best if you go into it cold on first viewing. Yet I’d also say its defining narrative gimmick won’t hold up for longer than this single viewing.

Structured into six chapters – told in non-linear fashion, beginning with chapter three – Strange Darling is a direct descendent of the Quentin Tarantino school of filmmaking, not only because of its disjointed meta-narrative but because it wears the influence of B-movies and exploitation cinema as a proud badge of honour.

On this level the movie’s main pleasures lie, from a retro soundtrack that makes excellent use of the evergreen ‘Love Hurts’ to the heightened acting and dialogue – which admittedly slips in and out of bad camp from time to time – and foremost: the dynamic, vintage 35mm cinematography of actor-turned-DP Giovanni Ribisi.

Yet while the film’s most important twist almost certainly will catch you off-guard, Strange Darling’s strived-for narrative innovation merely builds on editing techniques already established by Russian film pioneer Lev Kuleshov in the 1910s. Take away that central, gimmicky conceit and what you are left with – despire some other, mostly underwhelming, twist and turns along the way – is a well-made yet decidedly middle-of-the road serial killer flick.

This realisation hits home the hardest in the epilogue that concludes the film, which removes all suggestion that the filmmakers have anything more profound in mind beyond their cute but overall stale formal approach.

release: 2024

director: JT Mollner

starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr.