Strange Darling review: Does for serial killer thrillers what Pulp Fiction did for crime movies

Strange Darling is a relatively conventional horror movie, made unconventional by a narrative structure that jumps back and forth in time, with surprising, and ultimately thrilling results.

Quentin Tarantino wasn’t the first director to mess with chronology in his movies. But he did it best, the writer-director’s unorthodox approach in Reservoir Dogs – and most memorably Pulp Fiction – elevating the material by introducing themes of destiny and fate, and resurrecting characters in unexpected fashion.

Tarantino changed the game, resulting in the crime genre becoming crowded with inferior ripoffs. But horror never really embraced this narrative device – until now.

As Strange Darling is a serial killer thriller told in six chapters that play out of order, an approach that adds twists and turns to proceedings, while encouraging the audience to keep re-evaluating what they’ve just seen. Which makes for an electrifying viewing experience.

Unconventional beginnings

Though it doesn’t start that way. Instead, Strange Darling kicks off with lots of words onscreen, setting up what we’re about to watch. Which concerns a “prolific and unique American serial killer,” who went on a murder spree between 2018 and 2020.

This is “the true story of the final few killings on that rampage,” drawn from interviews, depositions, and the observations of those who bore witness to the carnage. Which is a lot to live up to.

The film then starts proper, in wonderfully kinetic fashion. A panicked woman is being chased in her ’78 Pinto. A man – snorting drugs – is doing the pursuing in his truck. He tries to shoot the woman, then tries to run her over, but fails on both counts.

A foot chase ensues through back-woods, which turns into a tense game of cat and mouse, as the killer – played by Kyle Gallner – relentlessly hunts his prey, played by Willa Fitzgerald.

This is Chapter 3, titled ‘Can You Help Me? Please!’ But before the sequence ends in any kind of resolution, we’re plunged into Chapter 5, titled ‘Here Kitty Kitty Kitty.’ Then Chapter 1. And so-on, and so-forth, until all of Strange Darling’s mysteries are revealed.

Taking big swings

It’s a big swing by writer-director J.T. Mollner, trusting the audience to stick with a story that distributes its secrets slowly, carefully, and methodically. But patience is rewarded, especially if you like having the rug pulled out from under you at regular intervals.

He’s aided and abetted by two grandstanding performances from his leads. Fitzgerald – so memorable as Young Madeline in The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix – is superb as the so-called ‘final girl.’ Though for most of Strange Darling, she’s the only girl, and effortlessly carries her half of the movie.

While Gallner is a force of nature as her pursuer, an unstoppable force on a collision course with Fitzgerald’s seemingly immovable object.

Thanks to Scream and Smile – and further back, Jennifer’s Body and Red State – Gallner has form in the genre. But this performance will push him over the top; the crowning of a scream king to match his co-star’s new scream queen status.

Is Strange Darling good?

That structure and those performances work, as does pretty much everything in Strange Darling. It looks good, with Mollner and cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi – yes, that Giovanni Ribisi – choosing a color palette that heightens reality, while giving visual clues as to what’s afoot.

Blue is central to proceedings, illuminating the screen when the movie is in ‘tender love story’ mode. While red tells a very different story, through clothes and vehicles and bad things going down in a motel bathroom. It really is a feast for the eyes.

Music plays a prominent role throughout. A beautiful cover of ‘Love Hurts’ by Z Berg and Keith Carradine is a recurring theme, and could even be an alternate title for the movie. While more Berg bangers populate the soundtrack; beautiful tunes with dark lyrics that perfectly complement the images onscreen.

Strange Darling review score: 5/5

By messing with chronology, structure, and genre tropes, Strange Darling defies convention and expectation, with J.T. Mollner taking the serial killer thriller, spinning it around, then smashing it head-first into the ground.

The movie then builds to a climax that’s both shocking, and extremely satisfying, resulting in a genuine crowd-pleaser that should be watched with the biggest audience you can find.

Strange Darling hits US screens on August 23, before debuting at FrightFest on August 24. The movie then releases in the UK on September 20. For more scary, check out our list of the best horror movies of all-time. As well as our preview of what else to watch at FrightFest.