Strange Darling

The film's structure is non-linear, but this plot summary is written in a linear fashion. The order of the chapters as shown in the film is Chapter 3, 5, 1, 4, 2, 6, and then the Epilogue.

Chapter 1: "Mister Snuffle" — In rural Hood River County, Oregon, a woman ("the Lady") meets a man ("the Demon") and the two go to a local motel to have sex. Prior to renting a room, the Lady explains to the Demon the risks women take engaging in such behavior, and makes him answer whether or not he is a serial killer. After he says no, the Lady agrees to proceed, and asks that she and the Demon engage in hyperrealistic sadomasochistic roleplay in which he pretends to be a murderer, and she his victim.

Chapter 2: "Do You Like to Party?" — After hours of roleplaying, the Lady insists the two use cocaine before having sex, to which the Demon agrees. When the Lady begins acting cold and denies the Demon sex, she reveals that she has in fact dosed him with ketamine, which renders him severely sedated.

The Lady, in fact a prolific serial killer herself, dubbed "the Electric Lady" by the media, carves the initials of her moniker into the Demon's chest. While rifling through his belongings, she discovers a law enforcement badge, revealing that he is a police officer. The Lady prepares to stab the Demon to death, but as he regains his faculties, he shoots her ear off with his concealed pistol (presumably retrieved while she was in the bathroom). The Lady flees the motel in a stolen car after stabbing the desk clerk to death, and is pursued by the Demon in his truck.

Chapter 3: "Can You Help Me? Please?" — On a rural stretch of road, he shoots at the vehicle, causing her to crash and flee on foot into the woods. The Lady stumbles upon the farmhouse of two eccentric hippie doomsday preppers, Frederick and Genevieve, who take her in.

Chapter 4: "The Mountain People" — While Genevieve goes to retrieve medicine for the Lady, Frederick attempts to phone the police, but the Lady stabs him to death and forces Genevieve outside. The Demon arrives on the property with his rifle. Genevieve seizes the opportunity to flee into the woods, while the Lady retreats back into the farmhouse and hides in a chest freezer.

Chapter 5: "Here, Kitty, Kitty ..." — The Demon begins searching the house, shooting into objects where he thinks the Lady might be hiding, tauntingly calling out "Here, Kitty, Kitty". He eventually finds her and shoots through the ice chest, wounding her arm.

Chapter 6: "Who's Gary Gilmore?" — The Demon handcuffs her to the chest before calling fellow sheriff Pete and his deputy, Gale, for backup. The Lady tells the Demon she had always hoped to die like Gary Gilmore, and tearfully confesses that, during their earlier sexual encounter, she felt a fleeting moment of true love for him. She then sprays him with a can of Genevieve's bear spray. A struggle ensues during which the Lady bites into the Demon's neck, tearing into his carotid artery, causing him to bleed to death. As he dies, she steals his concealed pistol.

Pete and Gale arrive at the house, and find the Lady lying handcuffed to the freezer with her pants pulled down. She claims the Demon, high on cocaine, kidnapped her and took her to the farmhouse to rape and murder her, unaware that the home was occupied. Pete is skeptical of the scene and insists that the homicide unit investigate before they free her, but Gale convinces him that the Lady should receive immediate medical attention. As the officers escort the Lady by car toward town, Genevieve appears along the road and flags them down, but the Lady shoots her before she can explain what happened. The Lady then confiscates both of their guns before ordering Gale out of the car.

Epilogue: "The Electric Lady" — Pete drives the Lady farther down the road before she has him stop so she can consider her next move. When Pete asks her why she kills, she tells him that she sometimes "doesn't see humans, just devils". The Lady then kills Pete. The Lady stumbles on foot farther down the road, when another woman driving a truck picks her up. Gazing at the sideview mirror, the Lady sees a brief flash of "a devil" in her own reflection. When the Lady draws her pistol, the driver quickly fires first, shooting the Lady. The driver calls police from her cell phone, explaining she just shot a stranger in self-defense and that she is en route to the local hospital. The Lady (who begins convulsing from the gunshot) looks on—hesitant on pulling out another gun on the driver—until she loses consciousness and dies.

{{Cast listing|

• Willa Fitzgerald as the Lady
• Kyle Gallner as the Demon
• Madisen Beaty as Gale
• Bianca Santos as Tanya
• Steven Michael Quezada as Pete
• Ed Begley Jr. as Frederick
• Barbara Hershey as Genevieve
• Denise Grayson as Libby
• Eugenia Kuzmina as Beth
• Sheri Foster Blake as the driver
• Andrew Segal as Steve
• Jason Patric as true crime narrator (voice)
• Giovanni Ribisi as Art Pallone (voice)

}}

Writer-director JT Mollner conceived of Strange Darling in 2021 as the film industry began to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Within six months, he had completed the script and begun shooting, making it the fastest film production process he had ever experienced.{{cite web|work=Script Magazine|url=https://scriptmag.com/interviews-features/flipping-the-script-on-the-final-girl-a-conversation-with-strange-darling-writer-director-jt-mollner|title=Flipping the Script on the Final Girl: A Conversation with 'Strange Darling' Writer-Director JT Mollner|date=August 23, 2024|last=Dean|first=Sadie|archive-date=August 24, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824034940/https://scriptmag.com/interviews-features/flipping-the-script-on-the-final-girl-a-conversation-with-strange-darling-writer-director-jt-mollner|url-status=live}} Mollner described the writing process as the easiest he had encountered in his career. He explained that this screenplay "kind of wrote itself," attributing its fluidity to the extensive time he had spent conceptualizing the project prior to writing.{{Cite web |title=Sicko Movie Mode: Five F**ked-Up Features to Close Out the Summer |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sicko-movie-mode-five-f-ked-up-features-to-close-out/id1439252196?i=1000666734677 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Apple Podcasts}}

Elaborating on the concept, Mollner stated: "I was drawn to the image of this final girl running through the woods. And I kept seeing that, and I knew it was a trope, except the way I saw it was there was dressing on the image that I saw, that that made it unique to me, the scrubs and the music and the frame rate, the slow motion I wanted to shoot, and the lens. I had this very stylized image in my head, but I wanted to make sure, beyond just style, there was some story here, or a unique side of a character we could show that we hadn't seen in other films, not just horror films, but films about people who are being pursued or in distress."

Upon completion of the script, Mollner received three different offers from various companies. They met with Miramax first, where Mollner recalled, "In the room at Miramax, I was about three minutes into my pitch and Bill Block said, 'We're making it. It's done. Don't talk to anybody else.'" About three or four weeks later, the casting process commenced.

The film's chapterized structure was designed to captivate audiences and maintain intrigue. Mollner believed that this narrative approach would appeal not only to those familiar with the script but also to new viewers, as it encourages curiosity about the unfolding story: "The reveals of the chapterized structure immediately draw you in. I assume that it also had an appeal to a stranger who would pick up this script and say, 'I want to know what happens next.'"

The director has neither confirmed nor denied if the film is based on real events, saying "perhaps" it is. However, at the end of the credits there is the standard text: "The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

On September 27, 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that the film was shooting in Portland, Oregon. The film was produced by Bill Block, Steve Schneider, and Roy Lee, with cinematography by Giovanni Ribisi (who made his feature-length cinematographic debut on this film).{{cite web|url= https://deadline.com/2022/09/strange-darling-miramax-sets-cat-mouse-thriller-with-willa-fitzgerald-kyle-gallner-barbara-hershey-ed-begley-jr-1235128064/|website=Deadline Hollywood|title= Strange Darling: Miramax Sets Cat & Mouse Thriller With Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey & Ed Begley Jr

|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=September 27, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824031925/https://deadline.com/2022/09/strange-darling-miramax-sets-cat-mouse-thriller-with-willa-fitzgerald-kyle-gallner-barbara-hershey-ed-begley-jr-1235128064/amp/|archive-date=August 24, 2024}} Ribisi is also credited as a producer (as he donated his own personal equipment to the film production) and has a cameo.{{Cite web |title= From Actor to Auteur: Strange Darling DP Giovanni Ribisi, pt. 1|url=https://www.camnoir.com/ep276/|website=camnoir |date=August 21, 2024 |access-date=August 25, 2024}}{{cite web|website=Variety|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824033041/https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/strange-darling-review-1235735408/amp/|archive-date=August 24, 2024|url-status=live|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/strange-darling-review-1235735408/|date=September 27, 2023|title=

Strange Darling Review: Love Hurts in Electric Serial Killer Movie Shot by Giovanni Ribisi|first=Michael|last=Nordine}} He used 35 mm film for the shooting.

The production spanned 32 days and operated on a budget between $4–10 million, with some scenes shot in the Mount Hood National Forest.{{cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/horror/news/strange-darling-movie-jt-mollner-giovanni-ribisi-interview-writer-director-explained/|work=ComicBook.com|title=Strange Darling Filmmakers on Bringing the Twisted Tale to Life|last=Cavanaugh|first=Patrick|date=August 19, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824032918/https://comicbook.com/horror/news/strange-darling-movie-jt-mollner-giovanni-ribisi-interview-writer-director-explained/|archive-date=August 24, 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Disney's messy succession story; Overcoming the production challenges of 'Strange Darling' |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disneys-messy-succession-story-overcoming-the/id73330606?i=1000670153174 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Apple Podcasts}}

The production faced significant challenges, shutting down two days into filming due to negative feedback from film executives, who stated “we hate everything about what you're sending us. We're not enjoying this at all. And we're not sure if this is going to work.” Executives also asked that Willa Fitzgerald be recast. Mollner described this experience as “traumatic,” fearing that a permanent shutdown would jeopardize his future prospects as a filmmaker. Producers Lee and Schneider argued that the financiers resume production, stressing that millions had already been spent and that “We're either going to do [the movie] this way or not do the movie at all.” Due to the almost week-long shutdown during filming and resulting budgetary constraints, a major river set piece was cut.

After filming wrapped, tensions continued over the film’s non-linear narrative structure. Without Mollner’s knowledge, Miramax hired another editor to recut the film as a linear story. Mollner told Miramax CEO Bill Block that he would have his name removed from the film if it were released in sequence and even went as far as to remove it during his own cut of the test screening. Tiffany Haddish, an acquaintance of Mollner, viewed an early cut of his version and also argued that Block accept Mollner's version.

In accordance with his contract, Mollner was granted a test screening of his cut. Following a highly successful audience response, Block ultimately granted Mollner the final cut and later apologized to Mollner for the difficult production.

The film had its world premiere on September 22, 2023, at Fantastic Fest held in Austin, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a45351448/strange-darling-100-rotten-tomatoes/|title= Reacher star's new movie debuts with 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating|first=Sam|last=Warner|date=September 28, 2023|website=Digital Spy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824033116/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a45351448/strange-darling-100-rotten-tomatoes/|archive-date=August 24, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/08/23/strange-darling-star-willa-fitzgerald-on-unique-serial-killer-movie/|work=Forbes|date=August 23, 2024|last=Lammers|first=Tim|issn=0015-6914|title='Strange Darling' Star Willa Fitzgerald On Unique Serial Killer Movie|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824034149/https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/08/23/strange-darling-star-willa-fitzgerald-on-unique-serial-killer-movie/|archive-date=August 24, 2024}} In March 2024, Magenta Light Studios acquired North American distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/strange-darling-movie-release-fantastic-fest-1235952873/|title=Fantastic Fest Horror Hit 'Strange Darling' Lands Wide Theatrical Release From New Bob Yari Venture (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Matt|last=Donnelly|date=March 26, 2024|accessdate=March 27, 2024|website=Variety}}

An early access screening took place at select U.S. theaters on August 14, 2024, followed by an exclusive live-streamed Q&A session from the AMC Lincoln Square 13 Theater with writer-director Mollner, cinematographer Ribisi, and star Fitzgerald, moderated by Carla Gugino.{{cite web|title=Strange Darling: Live Q&A Early Access Event|url=https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/strange-darling-live-q-a-early-access-event-77758|url-status=live|work=AMC Theatres|archive-date=August 27, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240827011735/https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/strange-darling-live-q-a-early-access-event-77758}} The film opened in Australia on August 22, 2024, followed by a wide U.S. theatrical release on 1,133 screens on August 23, 2024.{{cite web|work=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2024/08/indie-films-opening-strange-darling-between-the-temples-1236048805/|title=Buzzy Serial Killer Thriller 'Strange Darling', 'Between The Temples' With Jason Schwartzman & Carol Kane Test Indie Market – Specialty Preview|date=August 23, 2024|last=Goldsmith|first=Jill|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824032240/https://deadline.com/2024/08/indie-films-opening-strange-darling-between-the-temples-1236048805/|archive-date=August 24, 2024}}

Strange Darling was released on VOD on October 1, 2024 via STX Entertainment.{{Cite web |last=Lammers |first=Tim |title=Horror Thriller 'Strange Darling' Gets Digital Streaming Premiere Date |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/09/20/horror-thriller-strange-darling-gets-digital-streaming-premiere-date/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Forbes}}

{{As of|2025|1|18|df=US}}, the film has grossed $4.9 million worldwide. In the United States and Canada, it earned $1.1 million from 1,135 theaters in its opening weekend.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2024W34/|title=Domestic 2024 Weekend 34|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 1, 2024}}

File:29th Critics Choice Awards - Willa Fitzgerald (cropped).png received widespread praise for her performance, considered by critics as her breakout role.]]

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|95|8|155|JT Mollner delivers a thrillingly unexpected and electric ride with two breakout performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner in Strange Darling.|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/strange_darling|title=Strange Darling|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=January 16, 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|80|23|access-date=27 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/strange-darling/|title=Strange Darling|website=Metacritic|access-date=August 22, 2024}}

Thomas Floyd of The Washington Post praised the film's performances and Ribisi's cinematography.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|last=Floyd|first=Thomas|date=August 23, 2024|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/08/23/strange-darling-ribisi-review/|url-status=live|title=Shot by Giovanni Ribisi, this serial killer tale delights in twists|archive-date=August 23, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240823120357/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/08/23/strange-darling-ribisi-review/}} Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times similarly praised the film, writing:

{{blockquote|

Playing out in six, ingeniously scrambled chapters, this headlong thriller transforms a simple cat-and-mouse premise—and maybe even a toxic love story—into an impertinent rebuke to genre clichés and our own preprogrammed assumptions.{{cite news|work=The New York Times|title='Strange Darling' Review: Assume Nothing|date=August 22, 2024|url-status=live|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/movies/strange-darling-review.html|archive-date=August 22, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240822130033/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/movies/strange-darling-review.html}}

}}

IndieWire's Alison Foreman awarded the film an A rating, concluding:

{{blockquote|

Electric and unforgettable, Strange Darling lives up to its maddening moniker. In a summer movie season that’s been middling at best, this is a must-see—a feat of filmmaking so extraordinary you’ll wonder if it could ever truly be spoiled.{{cite web|last=Foreman|first=Alison|work=IndieWire|title='Strange Darling' Review: JT Mollner's Deconstructed Date Night Will Make You Love the Movies Again|url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/strange-darling-review-1235038602/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240824035315/https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/strange-darling-review-1235038602/|date=August 23, 2024|archive-date=August 24, 2024}}

}}

American filmmaker J. J. Abrams stated:

{{blockquote|

Name a better movie this year. It’s terrifying, hilarious, heartbreaking, sexy, and wild. A true cinematic thriller masterpiece. I lost my mind for Strange Darling.{{Cite web |last=Stolworthy |first=Jacob |date=September 17, 2024 |title=New twist-filled movie Strange Darling is being hailed 'biggest surprise of the year' |url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/news/strange-darling-movie-uk-release-b2614042.html |access-date=October 5, 2024 |website=The Independent}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{IMDb title}}
• [https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/strange-darling-english/cast/ Strange Darling] at Bollywood Hungama
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|strange_darling}}
• {{Metacritic film|strange-darling}}

{{Saturn Award for Best Thriller Film}}

Category:2023 films

Category:2023 independent films

Category:2023 thriller films

Category:2020s American films

Category:2020s English-language films

Category:2020s serial killer films

Category:American films about revenge

Category:American independent films

Category:American nonlinear narrative films

Category:American serial killer films

Category:American thriller films

Category:BDSM in films

Category:English-language crime films

Category:English-language independent films

Category:English-language thriller films

Category:Films about casual sex

Category:Films about drug use in the United States

Category:Films about police officers

Category:Films directed by JT Mollner

Category:Films set in 2020

Category:Films set in forests

Category:Films set in motels

Category:Films set in Oregon

Category:Films shot in Portland, Oregon

Category:Films with screenplays by JT Mollner

Category:Miramax films

Category:Saturn Award–winning films