Director J.T. Mollner’s new independent horror film “Strange Darling” is ruffling feathers in the movie world. The 35mm film, shot by actor-turned-cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, presents a mystery that confounds viewers until the final moments. While initially appearing similar to a traditional cat-and-mouse thriller, the film steadily reveals an unconventional truth through nonlinear storytelling.
The movie opens with a woman called “The Lady,” played by Willa Fitzgerald, fleeing a pursuer known as “The Demon,” acted by Kyle Gallner. Their chase through the woods implies a standard plot with the Lady as the imperiled victim. However, across six out-of-order chapters, the narrative subverts expectations. Shockingly, the film exposes that the Lady intentionally lured the Demon to kill him, not the other way around.
Mollner designed the film to mislead the audience’s presumptions. “I wanted to reinvent the idea of a final girl,” the director said, referring to the common trope of a lone surviving female overcoming the killer. Scenes initially portray the Lady as resourceful in danger, nurturing wounds – traits signaling a sympathetic protagonist.
Yet as the timeline untangles, viewers learn the true natures. Contrary to initial impressions, the Lady kills for sport while carving her mark. Meanwhile, beneath his threatening visage, the Demon fights only to survive her unexpected aggression.
By positioning a female as the aggressor, “Strange Darling” defies typical gender roles. Fitzgerald skillfully plays the Lady as both chillingly ruthless and genuinely vulnerable. Gallner brings depth to a character transforming from an apparent villain to a tragic victim.
The film ends unconventionally, with the Lady’s luck expiring in a tense finale rather than her triumph. Like her demise, the conclusion fades without resolution, constantly surprising the audience.
As “Strange Darling” continues in theaters, it promises lively discussion among horror fans and critics for subverting norms through clever twists that merit a second viewing.
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