I had heard nothing, but positive things about Strange Darling so I was excited to check it out. When Stephen King is saying positive stuff about a movie, that makes me want to watch it even more. I came into this pretty blind. I saw the trailer and thought that it looked like a fun game of cat and mouse between a serial killer and a victim who got away. However, all is not what it seems with this movie and I guess that is one of the reasons most people loved it.
Where to watch Strange Darling
Strange Darling was released on September 22, 2023. You can stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review
I will admit that I rolled my eyes pretty much as soon as the movie started. Why was there any need to put at the start of the movie that it was shot on 35 mm film? It just came across as so pretentious to me, kind of like the same way that Saltburn was shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Hey, if you dig that kind of thing, more power to you, and perhaps if I had been watching this movie in 4K, I would have gotten the benefit of it being shot on 35 mm film. It just felt so weird to have this pop up at the start of the movie.
Now, Strange Darling is what the trailer promised. It is a fun cat and mouse thriller, but the gimmick here is that the movie is played out of order. It consists of six chapters, but they do not play in a linear fashion. This to be fair is quite clever and I am sure that a ton of people did not see the twist coming. I am not saying that I have the detective skills of Batman or anything like that, but I pretty much figured this out right from the first scene where a very specific question was asked.
Non-Linear Storytelling: A Clever Twist
I will say that Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner (Jennifer’s Body, A Nightmare on Elm Street, American Sniper, Scream, Smile 2) are fantastic in their roles and for like 95 percent of this movie, it is just them and they manage to carry this whole movie on their backs. One is on the hunt for the other and there are some very tense scenes. I do not want to go into spoilers, but there is a scene very early in the movie where one of the characters is being hunted in a house and it legit has you on edge the whole time.
Again, I am not saying that I am the world’s greatest detective or anything like that, but I do think if I had not figured out what the twist was right at the start, I probably would have liked this movie a whole lot more. I will say that the non-linear way that it was presented did at the very least throw up a “why” is this happening situation for me and that did keep me interested.
Why Giovanni Ribisi’s Cinematography Stands Out
One thing that I did think was pretty cool about Strange Darling was that while it was directed by JT Mollner who also wrote the script. The cinematographer for the movie was Giovanni Ribisi, an actor I have been a fan of since I saw him in an episode of The X-Files all the way back in the 90s. I love the stuff he has done with Seth Macfarlane too such as Ted and the criminally underrated, A Million Ways to Die in the West, it was cool seeing him do something behind the camera and the movie does look great.
Final Thoughts on Strange Darling
Strange Darling is a movie that I can fully understand why so many people loved and it certainly is clever and a unique way to present a movie. However, the fact that it started with that pretentious “shot on 35 mm film” text and me figuring out the twist so early on did mean that I did not get as much out of it as I had thought I would. Hey, I am 100 percent in the minority here though as most people seem to love this so go into this with an open mind and make your own opinion on it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch or get the official digital download of Strange Darling?
You can check official streaming and digital download availability for Strange Darling on platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Disney+ via our dedicated watch page.
What is Strange Darling (2023) about?
Our review breaks down the plot, themes, and pacing of Strange Darling directed by JT Mollner without spoiling key twists.
Can I download Strange Darling for offline viewing?
Yes, major licensed VOD and streaming services allow you to download Strange Darling inside their official apps for offline viewing.
Is Strange Darling worth watching?
Yes, strong performances, direction, and production quality make Strange Darling a recommended watch in its genre.
