Audiences have fascinated filmmakers and moviegoers alike since the invention of cinema. Just look at the final frame of the 1903 film. The Great Train Robbery. This famous shot initially appears to be just the mug shot of a robber (played by Justus D. Barnes). But then the character pulls out a gun, points it at the screen and shoots at the audience. Suddenly The Great Train Robbery involves the viewer in a whole new way. Later films often did not refer to moviegoers so directly. However, concepts such as “who sees who?” and meta-commentary on audience behavior persisted in cinema throughout the development of the art form.
Strange darling is the latest film to raise questions that influence works such as Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces dizziness And rear windowWhat do you see on the screen? When a stranger crosses your path, what do you see in him? What shapes your view of the world? These questions are the basis of this incredibly good thriller. Strange darlingyou can ponder these existential questions that have haunted cinema for ages. Or you can simply buckle up and enjoy the gripping journey that screenwriter and director JT Mollner has put together for you.
This indie thriller starts off on the right foot, displaying text on the screen that announces Strange Darlings “shot entirely on 35mm film”. After another text on the screen, which makes it clear that the film is a “dramatization” of the last months of a fictional serial killer, the audience is immersed in this story in medias res. The protagonist The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) runs through rural Oregon, closely followed by the armed The Demon (Kyle Gallner). Apart from the Lady’s will to survive, nothing else initially shapes this character dynamic.
Mollner’s screenplay for The Lady and the Demon comprises six sections (plus an epilogue). The division of films into chapters has become common in modern films, from Furious To Hunting the wild people. Strange Darlings The non-linear implementation of the individual chapters is unique. After it starts in the “middle” of the story, Strange darling shows the dynamic between the lady and the demon back and forth. Before running through various rural settings, the two were strangers to each other and were preparing to spend the night together in a motel. How quickly things can change.
It fits Strange Darlings Trailer highlights the feature Barbar Producer Roy Lee. Finally, JT Mollner’s latest script brings up a particularly fascinating aspect of this 2022 Zack Cregger film. Speaking of Barbarians When Cregger wrote the script for Below the Line, he noted that this entertaining horror title came about by accident. “I just started writing late at night… I wanted to write a scene just for myself,” Cregger explained. “I didn’t want to write a movie. I just wanted to have fun creating something, like I did when I was a little kid.” A larger outline did not dictate the Barbarians Form. Instead, Cregger always delivered material that entertained him as a moviegoer.
Mollner’s Strange darling The script seems to have been worked out from the same approach, and that is a great compliment. The dead air between exciting scenes that other horror films like Saw X or 2018 Halloween is missing here. Instead, every corner of Mollner’s script is characterized by consistently brilliant creativity. This includes the most exciting “twists” and a caustic tone that vacillates between horror and black comedy. Self-consciousness about “harsh reality” is eschewed so that Mollner can pursue aesthetics and story detours that are dear to his heart. Such devotion is infectious, especially when it manifests itself so flawlessly on screen.
This ability is also achieved by Mollner and cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, who show visual skill in the implementation Strange Darlings different aesthetics. The first section of the film is very reminiscent of classic silent films, showing the lady escaping the demon. In striking imagery based on physical acting and wide angle shots with gorgeous natural light, not a single word is spoken. It’s all done so convincingly that you won’t notice the lack of dialogue in this sequence until long after the credits have rolled.
Later, a section devoted to the two characters talking in the demon’s car is a much more intimate, dialogue-driven affair. Mollner and Ribise cleverly use closer shots here, bathed in blue neon light. Just because this duo is now chatting in a car doesn’t mean the screen can’t light up with striking imagery. The visuals remain just as captivating when conversations take center stage. Even within these limited confines, Fitzgerald and Gallner’s performances remain engaging.
Previously in Strange Darlings Running time, body language defined this couple exclusively. The way they walked, crouched under a tree, held a weapon or other actions offered insights into their inner desires. In this Strange darling Segment they are depicted chatting in car seats. The delivery of lines has to win out. If you stumbled into the film only in this segment, you might even assume it is a black indie comedy! Committing to this pattern and also something that FW Murnau’s open-air version of silence is a difficult task, both Strange darling The main actors are very committed. Fitzgerald particularly shines here, with all the nuances that the script offers her. She is a fascinating, brilliant performance.
These varied images and performances in just these two segments (not to mention the entire film) make Strange darling a particularly exciting treat. Such qualities create thrilling uncertainty about where this production goes next. The commitment to a physically restrained setting for this story further emphasizes these virtues. Another indie horror film from August 2024 cuckoo was too lost in the weeds and had an overdose of supporting characters and myth. Strange darling focuses on a few figures in an equally sparse number of sets. By using such limited resources, the malleability and versatility of these artists can really make an impression.
It is inevitable that some aspects of this bold project will miss their target. Strange Darlings The home stretch feels a bit drawn out and repetitive. There is also a plot point in the sixth chapter of the film that, even in the over-the-top world of this film, feels… distractingly unrealistic. In the meantime, Strange Darlings Original Needle Drops (and a “Love Hurts” rendition) by musician Z Berg are a gamble. Some tunes hit the mark, like the “Love Hurts” cover, thanks to her distinctive and smooth voice. Sometimes songs like “Better the Devil” are more intrusive than useful to the sequences they’re in. Original compositions from Craig Deleon’s incredibly distinctive score (I love his droning, menacing leitmotif for The Demon) would certainly have been a better fit for these scenes.
With all its faults, Strange darling is an incredibly entertaining film that makes for an entertaining Friday night at the cinema. Mollner’s latest directorial effort weaves in breathtaking twists with as much grace as a greatly extended visual gag involving the preparation of an artery-clogging breakfast. Take Mike Flanagan’s quote from the Strange darling Trailer. Go into it without spoilers spoiling your experience. This way you can properly record Strange Darlings Pontificates about the audience numbers and the fact that the villain of Ted is a fantastic cameraman.
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