Last Year's 96%-Rated Horror With the Most Insane Plot Twist Is About to Drop on Paramount+
A flick with several unexpected twists, a striking visual language, and talented leads.
On March 1, one of last year's biggest horror hits, Strange Darling, finally arrives on Paramount+. Director JT Mollner armed himself with 35mm film, a few unexpected twists and invited excellent actors to turn the chase movie on its head.
The director and screenwriter of Strange Darling divided the movie into six chapters and then mixed the parts in random order.
What Is Strange Darling About?
A girl in a red jumpsuit runs in slow motion across a field, leaving a thicket behind her. We later learn that her name is Lady, and that an angry man in a plaid shirt with a shotgun is chasing her.
Lady manages to run to a cabin hidden in the woods, inhabited by an elderly hippie couple. They immediately say that they are waiting for the end of the world. Lady has no time for that, and the old folks will soon regret letting a guest into their home.
Strange Darling Director Plays With the Expectations of the Audience
The opening credits inform viewers that the film is based on real events – from 2018 to 2020, the states of Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon were terrorized by a ruthless serial killer.
However, the director cleverly plays with the audience's expectations and regularly lies for the sake of the intense story. Don't even pay attention to the names of the characters.
Of course, the movie is not based on any real events, and the author is just making fun of the true crime obsessed viewers.
The Film's Suspense Is Based on Several Unexpected Plot Twists
Much of the success of Strange Darling, which has already developed a small cult following, comes from the unexpected plot twists – one major and several minor – made possible by its fractured structure.
The lack of chronological order in the narrative leaves the viewer guessing as to what happened between the couple. The first half is ambiguous, which creates suspense. Of course, Mollner will put all his cards on the table, and there's no point in jumping to conclusions.
Strange Darling Takes the Chase Plot to the Next Level
If you try to retell the plot of Strange Darling, you will get an extremely simple movie. However, the secret of the film's success lies in its unconventional approach to a rather typical story about a hunter and a victim.
Strange Darling also attracts with something else: elegant work with color, original camera angles by Giovanni Ribisi, chemistry between the main actors, Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, and a finale that lasts just as long as it needs to.