I have to confess that just a few weeks ago “Strange Darling” wasn’t even on my radar. But after catching this new thriller for myself at my local movie theater, and subsequently learning of its (deserved) critical acclaim, it’s clear to see why it’s already being talked about as one of this year’s most memorable movies.
This is a taunt and tense thriller where nothing plays out as you expect, and its flirtation with a non-linear narrative structure has more than a whiff of Quentin Tarantino about it. What's immediately clear is that “Strange Darling” is a movie that demands your attention with all the force of a rifle blast, and I can’t wait for even more people to see this fantastic thriller once "Strange Darling" is available to stream on Tuesday, October 1.
So, you won’t be waiting long until “Strange Darling” is available to watch at home as the movie’s distributor, Magenta Light Studios, has confirmed its premium video-on-demand (PVOD) release date is only a week away (at the time of writing). So, here’s everything you need to know about this movie…
'Strange Darling' is a twisted game of cat and mouse
It may sound like a cliche, but “Strange Darling” is a movie that relies heavily on a sense of unpredictability. For that reason, the less you know about it before watching the better. This puts me in sort of a quandary, as I desperately want to gush about all the things this thriller does well, but also want to ensure I preserve its many mysteries. So, I'll tread lightly from here with only the most minor spoilers.
“Strange Darling” centers on a one-night stand between two nameless characters, the Lady (Willa Fitzgerlad) and the Demon (Kyle Gallner), what starts as an erotic encounter in a seedy motel room soon spirals into something far more twisted. Set against the backdrop of an active serial killer terrorizing the Western United States, nothing is what it seems, and the movie’s killer twist will shock you.
What really makes “Strange Darling” stand out in such an overcrowded genre is its nonlinear structure. The movie is presented in six chapters, but viewers are shown each section of the story out of order. This clever format allows director/writer JT Mollner to slowly peel back the curtain, drip-feeding viewers clues along the way.
The performances are also fantastic. Cinematic veterans Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey show up in supporting roles, but “Strange Darling” is very much Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner’s movie. The latter fits his role perfectly, but it’s Fitzgerald who shines brightest. Again, I want to dig into their characters, but I’m walking a fine line to avoid spoilers, so I'll say no more.
I’m certainly not the only viewer who came away from “Strange Darling” seriously impressed. The thriller holds a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 130 reviews. That makes it one of the year’s best-reviewed thriller movies. Its audience score is also high at 85%, though a few viewers criticized “Strange Darling” for being a little “style over substance”.
Nick De Semlyn of Empire Magazine summed the flick up perfectly by saying, “You’ll think you know where this sun-baked serial-killer thriller is going, until you don’t. A nifty, chronologically crafty tale, fuelled by bravura acting by Willa Fitzgerald, it’s a small movie with high impact.”
While Variety’s Michael Nordine noted that it’s “best experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible”, so take this advice, and stream it as soon as possible before you have one of its twists ruined by a careless social media post.
Here’s when you can stream 'Strange Darling'
If I’ve done my job, at this point, you should be totally sold on “Strange Darling”. Naturally, the next question, is when can you stream it? “Strange Darling” is set to arrive on PVOD platforms on Tuesday, October 1, that’s just one week from now.
If you’re looking for an unpredictable thriller that will grip you from the start — thanks to its nonlinear structure “Strange Darling” opens right in the middle of a dramatic car chase — and keeps you guessing throughout, then you've found just the movie. This dark fable looks destined for cult status and is sure to be a near-universally fixture of any “best thriller movie of 2024” list in just a few months.
Meanwhile, if you’re in the mood for a thriller that you can watch right now, “The Menu” just crashed the Prime Video top 10, and it’s similarly excellent (although its ending might leave you with a sour taste). Plus, you’ve only got a few days left to watch one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies of all time before it’s removed from Netflix.
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