The Film’s Darlings

While both of the leads have shown themselves to be talented in other projects, Strange Darling worked to show their wide range of talent. Willa Fitzgerald, credited in the film as The Lady, was adequate in shows such as Reacher, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Scream, but Strange Darling stands as her best work yet. It’s a layered performance that requires plenty of subtlety to execute it properly, with Fitzgerald able to hit all the right beats to enhance the character. Her performance even goes far enough to raise the question of Fitzgerald being ranked among some of the best Final Girls in horror cinema.

Countering Fitzgerald is Kyle Gallner as The Demon. Similar to his co-star, Gallner has served in small roles in movies such as Smile and 2022’s Scream, but Strange Darling also stands as his best role yet. His character could certainly be difficult to pull off, but with the sharp script and Gallner being able to balance and blend the various personas he has to portray, he created a satisfying character. Together, Gallner and Fitzgerald counter each other well and have great chemistry, making them a stand-out duo in the saturated horror genre.

A strange career move for the movie comes from the film’s cinematographer, Giovanni Ribisi. Better known for his acting roles in projects such as Avatar, Sneaky Pete, Friends, and recently in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, he makes a dramatic yet perfect transfer to cinematographer. Marking his debut as a cinematographer, he turned what easily could have been an overlooked aspect of the movie to one of the most talked about portions. The use of color in the movie pops, giving off a dreadful feeling to match the tone of the scenes. Using the setting of close corridors for many of the scenes, Ribis finds ways to creatively place the camera, even at times appearing to pull inspiration from old thrillers from the ‘60s and ‘70s. 

Director’s Eye

All of the talent and work contributed by the crew works to elevate Mollner’s vision. In what will likely be a career changing project, Mollner’s creativity finds ways to enhance a generic story. He brings a sensibility as if he’s a well-seasoned director in the industry, not someone who is still considered an up-in-comer. His direction helps guide the story and make it focused, never feeling lost or confused throughout its inventive story.

As stated earlier, it’s best to walk into Strange Darling knowing as little about it as possible. It’s a film that is unique and rare nowadays in Hollywood, taking slight risks that help make it stand out among everything else currently playing in theaters. From the box office reports, it doesn’t seem to be catching on with general audiences but has the potential to find a crowd when it eventually releases on streaming. Hopefully, the movie won’t get shuffled away and forgotten about. In a day and age when a common complaint is that Hollywood is simply out of ideas, movies like Strange Darling prove otherwise. They just need more attention in order to reach the viewers. 

Strange Darling is currently playing in theaters.