The film was shot in 35 MM projection. It follows a trail of terror based on moving parts of questioning. It has that subtle approach that makes its audience feel eerie. To the levels of creepy that like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Strange Darling is a dynamic of creepy that even left me in chills. Strange Darling is written and directed by JT Mollner. Mollner has an experimental approach with his dynamics of character in Strange Darling. That is probably why it is unsettling…on the levels of genius.

The film begins with chapters (they are in odd numbers). It creates a perspective of how conflicts began and what may have led up too many of the circumstances surrounding how the terror in the film has worsened. The level of perplexity in Strange Darling carries a vivid aspect of characterizations. The main characters are The Lady (played by Willa Fitzgerald) and The Demon (played by Kyle Gallner). A one-night stand of weird moving parts quickly goes awry. There is a trail of questions. Why does it get so out of hand? Who is more dangerous? Why are the films chapters jumping ahead and then reversing? The dynamics of characterizations and events flow the aspirational moments to keep its audience thinking.

It begins with a one-night stand scenario between The Lady and The Demon. There are already boiling factors of weird characterizations—both characters possess a form of disturbance in their dialogue. Their encounter is one that steadily grows to have questioning moments. This is by the usage of agreeing and then disagreeing, arguing, and then getting more aggressive and violent. Suddenly, it is a landscape of a horrifying ride. The Lady is on the run from The Demon.

My thoughts on the film began to linger with curiosity. Most of the film is a cat-and-mouse game. A scenario of good terms finding its red flags and then leading to a bigger and life-threatening mess to be cleaned up. Who will survive the outcome of this horrific event? They are both clearly bad people. Strange Darling is inevitable along the lines of keeping its audience intact with thinking back to the reasoning of the meet-up.

The interactive momentum of elements of surprise is the depths of surrealness. Strange Darling makes its landscape vast of deeper elements—the moving parts to what leads to treachery. Its pacing also goes smoothly. The vividness of Strange Darling comes across as blindsiding. Its “blindsiding” is done properly. The Lady has a creepy personality, The Demon has traits of confusion and bizarre expectations, both take the situation for granted—that is the realms of a vast array of suspense in Strange Darling.

It feels like a David Lynch world. With Lynch being one who is all about lighting to bring in elements of terror for effect, Mollner does this in his approach with Strange Darling. He brings in fades, frequent rotation of chapters, scenes, and transitions infrequently. Regardless of the technological aspects, his mix of patterns keeps its audience feeling a stunning world of unnoticed evidence. There is a secret to disturbing factors that continues to boil the thought-process for the film’s audience.

The brilliance of this one-of-a-kind adventure is that it keeps painting the picture of moving parts—it gives its audience perspective on what went wrong. With evidence ranging from cocaine, ketamine, knives, guns, and tasers—it is clear there is no happy ending, but there is going to be a luring effect. It is all about putting the pieces together.

With the background of both characters having weird vibes, Strange Darling is one that feels experimental. “Experimental” along the lines of how the characters truly are as humans. How insane are they? Who is more to be concerned about? The Lady is running for her life, and The Demon is going through all tides to try and end her (after the one-night stand). The chance of survival hits a minimum level in Strange Darling.

It is gorgeous, exhilarating, and dominating. Strange Darling is terror combined with psychological and slasher, with a lighting track of realism of an old school feeling. The cinematography feels like a new age of horror. That is because of how the heightening level is in its tone of direction. “Tone of direction” which matches the level of darkness that thrives Strange Darling. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.