Strange Darling (2024)

‘Strange Darling’ is must-see film of the summer

  When I was a cub reporter and made the mistake of speculating instead of verifying, my taciturn editor said something I’ve never forgotten. That advice? “Never assume.” Why? Because “assume makes an ass out of U and me.”

For their sake, it’s too bad the folks in “Strange Darling” weren’t as fortunate as I to have someone instill in them the importance of adhering to those stubborn things called facts. Had they, many of them might still be alive. Instead, they fell victim to, according to the film’s preamble, a maniac who wreaked havoc across the northwestern United States from 2016 to 2018.

 Who was this psychopath? The film’s distributor has sworn me not to breathe a word. Nor would I under any circumstance because it would spoil what many call “the best film of the summer.” Who am I to argue? Sure, writer-director JT Mollner goes overboard with the blood, gore and cruelty. But damn if this isn’t one of the most terrifying films I’ve seen in a while. It’s also, ironically, one of the funniest!

I know, comedy and butchery are seldom a suitable match, but the ease and cleverness with which Mollner blends them is awe-inspiring. Not only is it a cautionary tale about trust it’s also one of the best treatises imaginable about the fallacy of gender tropes. What you see, or what you think you see, isn’t necessarily the reality.

 It’s a recurring theme that fools you once, twice, thrice … perhaps a dozen times. To achieve that, you have to be one helluva screenwriter. And that’s just what Mollner proves to be with his spiffy, quickly told mind-fuck. Not only will it entertain the heck out of you, but it will also have you questioning your preconceptions and how you unquestionably assign aggressive behaviors to one particular sex. We think we know, but we don’t. You’re left gobsmacked. When was the last time you could say that about a movie?

It all starts innocently enough. A man (Kyle Gallner) and a flirty young woman (sensational Willa Fitzgerald) are downing brewskis as they discuss taking their one-night stand to the next level. Shot by actor-turned-cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, the scene unfolds in the front seats of the guy’s SUV with (metaphor alert!) a wide center console separating the two. Her courage is wavering. She tells him she needs a bit more liquid encouragement. On cue, he pulls a bottle of cheap whisky from the glove box. 

This is also about the time the woman jokingly inquires, “Are you a serial killer?” The male says nothing, but his expression suggests, “I’ve been busted.” But is that the reality, or are we reading into it years and years of society telling us that men on the prowl are dangerous at best and deadly at worst?

 This internal debate intensifies when the encounter moves inside with the woman cuffed to the bed and the man becoming exceedingly rough. Surely, this bit of bondage is all his idea. Or, is it? And on and on it goes, like a tennis match, with each taking turns dominating. Their routine is oddly sexy, but on another level, highly unsettling. But why? If they are two consenting adults, who are we to judge?

I believe that’s Mollner’s point, engulfed in the ensuing rampant bloodshed. What transpires between these two in the privacy of a bedroom is no one’s business. It is not for us to condemn them, at least not until we have all the facts. Fittingly, Mollner stages his film in six chapters capped by a shocking epilogue. To facilitate the objective of withholding judgment, Mollner scrambles the chapters, a la “Pulp Fiction.” This is crucial to the film’s success and Mollner’s ability to always keep us guessing … wrongly, mostly.

Eventually, there will be guns, knives, innocent victims and Scott Baio jigsaw puzzles. Don’t ask. At one point, an elderly hippie couple expertly portrayed by the always-welcome Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. hilariously enter the fray. Talk about serial killers! What these two eat for breakfast is enough to choke the arteries of the strongest of hearts. 

 This is where I skirt the line of revealing too much. So, I’d better stop here and merely assert that all the actors are top-rate. But it’s the performances by Fitzgerald and Gallner, two veterans of episodic TV, that can truly be classified as killer. Both are the picture of nuance and mystery. Just when you think you’ve got their characters pegged, they slap you – hard – upside the head with one surprise after another.

 If there’s a flaw, it’s that you’ll likely figure out what’s going on several scenes before Mollner reveals his intentions. But it barely reduces the impact of a seemingly endless series of twists and switchbacks that keep you nervously on your toes. 

    Still, “Strange Darling” is not for the squeamish. It’s incredibly violent and borderline disturbing. Yet you cannot look away. It grips you from the start and draws you deeper and deeper into its depravity. I, for one, loved it, even though it comes at the cost of making an ass out of you and me.

Movie review
Strange Darling
Rated: R for sexual material, language, drug use, strong bloody violent content
Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Ed Begley Jr., Barbara Hershey and Steven Michael Quezada
Director: JT Mollner
Writer: JT Mollner
Runtime: 96 minutes
Where: In theaters Aug. 23
Grade: A-