Strange Darling (starring Willa Ford and Kyle Gallner) was released in select theatres in the United States and Canada back in August of this year and may have been tragically eclipsed by other blockbusters both in and out of the horror genre that were hitting theatres at the time. So unless you are a Kyle Gallner stan like myself, or are especially in tune with the indie horror movie scene, you may have missed this psychological horror gem.
I loved Strange Darling so much that I saw it twice in theatres (and truth be told, I would have gone a third time so I could vicariously witness just one more friend experience the twists and turns for the first time). However, I took my time to review this movie because I not only wanted to do it justice, but I was apprehensive about how to pull off a review without spoiling any of Strange Darling’s spectacular twists. This brings me to my first point: go in blind. Avoid trailers and press at all costs. At best, the trailer spoils several of the film’s finest moments by showing a highlight reel of many of the most iconic scenes. At worst, it subtly hints at various twists—or rather, inadvertently primes you to anticipate the twists before you’ve even sat down to watch the film, therefore compromising the experience of seeing it for the first time.
Onto the plot. This cat-and-mouse psychological horror/thriller centers around a one-night-stand gone wrong and is told out of sequence in chapters which makes for a thoroughly engaging and massively entertaining experience. The stylistic choice to tell the story in non-chronological order kicks Strange Darling’s pace into high gear right from the jump. But the best part of this non-sequential storytelling method is that it makes you, as the viewer, feel like you’re participating in the narrative—keeping you on the edge of your seat with your mind racing to put the pieces together as the movie unfolds. Parceling out information about each of the two main characters at calculated moments in the film helps carefully manipulate your perception of the story from scene to scene—sometimes minute to minute. So even if you saw the trailer and think you know what happens, Strange Darling will still manage to surprise (or at least entertain) you.
Parceling out information about each of the two main characters at calculated moments in the film helps carefully manipulate your perception of the story from scene to scene—sometimes minute to minute. So even if you saw the trailer and think you know what happens, Strange Darling will still manage to surprise (or at least entertain) you.
Sparing spoilers, I can only say that Strange Darling expertly plays with your expectations of all the common tropes and clichés typically associated with the erotic thriller/psychological horror subgenres to explosive effect. This film skillfully weaves through tonal changes from disgusting, to sexy, to funny, to high tension and back again to keep you guessing and give you an unforgettable movie-going experience.
In speaking of unforgettable, we need to talk about Willa Ford’s performance (no disrespect to Kyle Gallner, ofc). She’s come a long way from her days in MTV’s Scream TV series (which admittedly, was a guilty-pleasure show for me back in 2015.) She is incredible in this role with the sheer emotional range of her acting and the intensity of her emotions are palpable throughout Strange Darling from start to finish. Moving on, Kyle Gallner is bringing his A-game to his performance in Strange Darling. As always, it is captivating to see him play a villainous role (albeit confusing when you face an uncontrollable attraction to the actor in spite of his on-screen character.) Needless to say, I will be running (not walking) to talk to my therapist about why I find Kyle Gallner hot in this movie—I blame my longstanding celebrity crush on the actor…
Aside from evocative performances on the parts of both lead actors, the impact of the gore featured in Strange Darling should not be understated. Although this film takes a quality-over-quantity approach to gore, when they go there they go there. The impressive prosthetics combined with Willa Ford’s gripping performance leads to some highly visceral horror moments.
Pulling triple duty with the unique plot and compelling performances is the stunning cinematography. Shot on 35 mm film, Strange Darling has the aesthetic of a bygone era of horror filmmaking while being grounded in the present, which gives it a timeless feel that further sucks you into it’s cinematic world. I also love the creative use of colour, which not only makes the movie visually beautiful in conjunction with the 35 mm film but also adds another layer of meaning to each scene.
Apart from the cinematography, it should also be noted that the music in this film is, in my opinion, *chef’s kiss*. Some might accuse the use of Z Berg’s rendition of Love Hurts (used both in the trailer and the film) to be overly simplistic or too on-the-nose, but I personally respected the choice and its lyrical nod to the themes in the story. Not to mention, the crooning tone of this cover is a perfect juxtaposition to the gritty and disturbing scenes playing out on screen.
Potential Trigger Warning
It should be noted that although no sexual assault takes place in Strange Darling, it definitely dances around it. Combined with scenes of violence against women (that’s all I can say to avoid spoilers), this movie deserves an SA trigger warning. So viewers should take that into consideration before deciding whether or not to watch it.