Strange Darling

A blonde woman who sometimes wears wigs; an early scene swathed in blue light; a song most famously performed by Roy Orbison prominently featured in the soundtrack. For some viewers, Strange Darling is a thing of mystery; for others it’s familiar territory. This need not reduce your enjoyment, however, because whilst it doesn’t consistently achieve the same quality as its inspirations, it’s still a gorgeous piece of work.

With a UK première at Frightfest just after its US release, the film is unashamedly rooted in horror, though aimed at a mainstream audience. Director JT Mollner found his inspiration in the Final Girl trope, and the image of a woman running for her life, pursued by a dangerous man. This is, in essence, how it begins, after a very brief introduction in black and white has framed that man in a certain way. The contrast with the vivid colour of these scenes is striking. The woman wears scarlet clothing and drives a scarlet sports car. She is soon forced off the road, fleeing through verdant green woodland. The man has a rifle. She has only her wits. Her prospects might seem bleak. But this is not how their story began.

Told in six chapters which are delivered in non-chronological order, Strange Darling may present a limited number of possibilities if you think about it, but its repeated reversal of what it has encouraged its audience to think is still fun. Importantly, it doesn’t rely on a simple conclusion: there are troubling aspects to both its main characters, though not every viewer will recognise them straight away. As for other people, well, it’s best not to get in the central duo’s way, but some fare better than others, and they’re all beautifully drawn. Mollner invests a lot of trust in his actors and it pays off.

This wouldn’t work as well as it does without the fantastic chemistry between Willa Fitzgerald, as the woman in red, and Kyle Gallner, as her pursuer. Fitzgerald has been getting most of the attention from critics and she is particularly impressive in her final scene, but in many ways it’s Gallner who has the trickier role, and excels in it. There’s another great pairing in Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr, whose seasoned, indulgent romance provides a counterpoint to the brutality we see elsewhere, and it’s expertly delivered, with enough humour to make them feel real.

The film is also a feast for the eyes, shot on celluloid by Giovanni Ribisi, who gives each chapter a distinctive appearance – the final one, appropriately, looking most like reality, whereas all the colours are heightened when the central characters are most heavily under the influence. The sound design also adapts to this changing aesthetic, fitting the changing mood of the film, whilst Craig DeLeon’s score provides a thread of consistency. Although some of the most interesting scenes take place in small rooms with very little movement, the thrilling action choreography on display at other times creates a sense of constant motion, of urgency; even when visiting earlier chapters we never quite lose that sense of pursuit.

Packaged like a true crime thriller and signed off like a drivetime radio yarn, Strange Darling is carefully positioned in a space where we expect exaggeration and sensationalism. It plays up to this deliciously, but its best trick is crafting characters whose fates we can still care about, in spite of everything, and whose intense hunger for life drives the story forwards. An enjoyable romp with a wicked sense of humour, Strange Darling also has enough style and enough heart to make it, for some, a lasting favourite.