SPOILER WARNING: Do Not Read Any of This Article If you have not seen the movie
J.T. Mollner’s thriller ‘Strange Darling’ made it’s debut in theaters this weekend and started to grow more and more buzz as the weekend wore on with audiences raving about one a hidden gem in horror this year.
They were right.
According to the official synopsis: “Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.”
The less you know about this movie = the better.
From the opener, which hits with an emotional intensity, you are a ball of clay in the hands of a compelling, gripping story that is full of twists and turns as it flips back and forth through it’s 6-chapter journey.
The opening scrolling text of the film, and the accompanying voice, immediately brought me back to the very first time I saw the original ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and the very first images, albeit brief and intense, of the Demon (Kyle Gallner) set the table for an unforgettable journey that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The performances of Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald (the Lady) cannot be understated, especially after the very first twist that turns the Lady (or the Electric Lady) from helpless victim to a calculated and manipulative killer.
As the story takes a slow pace for the first 40 minutes or so, it is worth the build, as it intertwines the chapters, with additional twists, with blood-soaked fluidity that captivates you for every second thereafter.
An absolute gem of a horror film, and a hidden treasure that is worth uncovering in theaters. An unforgettable journey. A symphony of calculated carnage wrapped in a thrilling acid-tripped nightmare that holds you like a ball of clay in it’s hands.
One of the best horrors of the year, and a must see
