Movie Review - Strange Darling

Because of the high critical acclaim (96% Rotten Tomatoes), I approached this Indie film filled with high expectations; and for the most part, it did not disappoint. Strange Darling is about a supposed serial killer who went on a killing spree in the western part of the United States between 2018-2020. It is a horror/thriller presented in six chapters, although in non-sequential order (not unlike Kinds of Kindness). I appreciated that it is a fast-moving, short film (1 hour 37 minutes). The pace keeps the viewer in a continual state of suspense as I found myself quite literally holding my breath on frequent occasions.

Technically speaking, the film is very strong in many areas, including cinematography, musical score, and editing.  Interestingly, Giovanni Ribisi is both a Producer of and a Cinematographer for this film.  Indeed, as for the cinematography, the movie was shot primarily in the backwoods of Oregon, which, in many ways, adds to the suspense of the victim's attempts to elude the killer under the cover of a dense forest.  Second, the music is haunting and is effective at punctuating the frightening moments and well as “building up” the suspense, even in less dramatic instances.  Third, without superb editing, this film, which is shot in a non-sequential manner, could have resulted in a confusing, jumbled, hot mess if not for skillful editing, which deserves outright praise. (To be sure, I found the story itself to be much “tighter” and understandable in comparison to Kinds of Kindness, a film in which I found to have a blurry and confusing plot).

7:42●●● 95%

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The acting was noteworthy on many fronts.  For example, even the cameos were well done, albeit a bit “caricaturish,” like the elderly mountain hippies (Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley, Jr.).  To be sure, they provided much-needed comic relief, which allowed me to breathe freely for a moment.  However, I was most impressed by Willa Fitzgerald, whose highly complex character would have been a monumental challenge for even the most seasoned of actors.  She was believable in her role, which had many sides, quirks, and nuances to her personality. I will avoid saying more here about her scenes as I am aiming to keep this review mostly “spoiler-free” so that you all can experience the film as I did.

So, one might ask what prevents me from giving this film an A+.  As it turns out, in doing a fact check, there is little to back up the movie’s claim that it is based upon a true story.  I am entirely unsure why they chose to portray it as such as they had to have anticipated backlash in this regard. In any event, I wish the film had simply been labeled a fictional suspense/horror film and left it at that.  Nevertheless, fans of this genre, as I am, are well advised to go see this movie, suspend disbelief and simply enjoy!

Grade: B+

Plot Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer's vicious murder spree.