Strange Darling

I am not including any spoilers in case you want to watch it. I went into the movie based on the positive reviews. Wow was I disappointed. The acting was indeed phenomenal, but the story was a little ridiculous. I could have been a lot better had it been more believable but it veers away from believability about 1/2 way through, and just gets more predictable. The ending seemed to be a little rushed, not very well thought out, and just a "we need an end". Watch it, who knows you may like it. The rest of the review is to meet the character requirements. The movie is called Strange Darling, who knows where the title came from.

I admit I was entertained for the duration of the film and the plot twist was fun....but it never feels like anything more than a B/C level 1990s Cinemax 2:00am type movie so the rave reviews are a bit puzzling to me. The actress who plays the main character is phenomenal though. She's completely electrifying and the final scene (I won't give anything away) her acting is award worthy. Maybe she won awards, I don't know, I've never heard of her before but she's good enough that I immediately googled her name as soon as it went off to see what I've missed. The woman is a phenomenal actress. Very entertaining film but the low budget is unfortunately a bit too obvious.

Recently watched Strange Darling, and I have to admit, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. The premise-a one-night stand spiraling into a serial killer's murder spree-sounded thrilling, but unfortunately, I saw the twist coming too early, which really affected my enjoyment.

While I appreciate that many people praised the acting, I personally found it lacking. The performances didn't resonate with me the way I had hoped, and instead of drawing me into the story, they kept me at arm's length. I wanted to connect with the characters, but their portrayals fell flat for my taste.

Additionally, the pacing of the movie felt off. It seemed to drag on longer than necessary, making it hard for me to stay engaged. I found myself checking the time, which is never a good sign in a thriller. The buildup felt drawn out, and by the time the action picked up, I was already losing interest.

Overall, while Strage Darling had the potential for something gripping, the predictable twist and the pacing issues really detracted from my experience. I can see why some might enjoy it, but for me, it just didn't hit the mark.

This movie is a well-engineered crafty quasi-erotic thriller that keeps you engaged until the very end. While a low budget movie, there are quite a few dramatic and super dramatic plot points that have you wondering what they might have done with a conventional robust budget.

The movie is presented in six chapters - and I will admit I'm generally not a fan of "chapters" - and initially I found this to be a distraction.. but as the movie moved along you realize the plot device was quite strategic.

The movie is a stark reminder why you should see thrillers as soon as they come out because it's hard to imagine that many well-intentioned reviewers won't spoil the movie simply in the title of their review.

I will certainly credit the director for making a thrilling memorable movie from very little resources to work with.

And the actress at the center of the movie (Willa Fitzgerald) gives a masterful performance.

I read a review that said do not read the reviews and go in to the theatre as blind as possible and that was great advice! I only saw the trailer one time. This was a beautifully shot 35 millimeter horror action thriller that is shown out of order for best shock and surprises, great lighting. Very well casted and acted. The action and gore FX, wardrobe, and car choices are all on point. I dont want to give anything away so will keep this review vague. Worth seeing in the theatre vs waiting to stream. This was far better than other recent horror films out including the lame Longlegs and the weird as hell Cuckoo movies. I highly recommend this film 8/10.