Shadows on the Wall | Strange Darling

Strange Darling

dir-scr JT Mollner
prd Bill Block, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Ivan Cevic
with Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr, Madisen Beaty, Steven Michael Quezada, Bianca A Santos, Sheri Foster Blake, Denise Grayson, Robert Craighead, Giovanni Ribisi, Jason Patric
release US 23.Aug.24,
UK 20.Sep.24
23/US Miramax 1h36

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After an opening caption identifies this as the true story of a serial killer's rampage, this thriller unfolds in wonderfully lurid style over six chapters that arrive out of sequence. With saturated hues and heightened performances, the film is grippingly over-the-top, impressively crafted by writer-director JT Mollner. So even if it never feels very substantial, the twisty, playful touches keep us on our toes, messing with our expectations.

Fleeing for her life, a woman (Fitzgerald) crashes her car and runs into the woods, pursued by a fierce hunter (Gallner). She takes refuge in a farmhouse with some old hippies (Hershey and Begley), but things turn increasingly deadly. It emerges that this terrifying situation is the fallout from a one-night stand in a roadside hotel room that went far off the rails, as handcuffs, drugs, knives and guns came into play. The question is whether two cops (Beaty and Quezada) will get there before it's too late, or maybe they'll become the next victims.

Warning: nothing is what it seems. Actor-producer Ribisi's skilful colour-drenched cinematography and Craig DeLeon's woozy score add to the atmosphere, continually shifting the tone as characters reveal unexpected sides of their personalities. Issues of consent ripple through the story, with constant revelations that redefine who these people are while dramatically turning the tables. And the true villain of the piece is a properly savage psychopath who preys on the goodness of others.

The actors bring their characters to life with a noir-like sense of complexity that's perpetually in motion, so even if the people themselves are under-defined and the whispered dialog is often inaudible, their attitudes, desires and fears are intriguing and involving. With a full-on performance, Fitzgerald has terrific presence in a role that's cleverly unfocussed, so her interaction with the excellent, nuanced Gallner and others is often almost unbearably tense.

Mollner deploys drug use and sadistic violence at full force, but leaves the sex oddly artificial and timid, even though it's supposed to be transgressive. Far more fascinating is the blurred line between aggressor and victim, and the illicit thrill of controlling and being controlled. So even if there isn't much depth to the story or characters, the film is entertaining for the way it so viciously refuses to play by the rules.

themes, language, violence 16.Aug.24

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