Strange Darling (2024)

[Hazel Motes]

Really loved this.

but

[Show spoiler]you’re telling me the cops wouldn’t have found a gun on her, wouldn’t have even CHECKED her?? Cmon now.


But I can easily forgive that because this was fantastic.

Willa Fitzgerald should get a nom for this. Mah gawd. She was next level. I couldn’t see any of the work she was doing for this character. Seems like it was just HER.

4/5

[KarmaNL]

Half in the Bag: Strange Darling - YouTube

[craigbarr2003]

I saw this film a few months ago and I mostly really liked it. However, I had one huge issue with something that happens right at the start of the film.

[Show spoiler]The whole film tries to play on audience expectations, and choosing to present in non-linear acts was also a wise choice. The problem that I have is actually in the credits introduction when Willa is introduced as "The Lady" and Kyle as "The Demon." If you do that, you're not playing with audience expectations. You are putting your thumb on a scale and pressing down into audience manipulation. It was entirely unnecessary.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by craigbarr2003

I saw this film a few months ago and I mostly really liked it. However, I had one huge issue with something that happens right at the start of the film.

[Show spoiler]The whole film tries to play on audience expectations, and choosing to present in non-linear acts was also a wise choice. The problem that I have is actually in the credits introduction when Willa is introduced as "The Lady" and Kyle as "The Demon." If you do that, you're not playing with audience expectations. You are putting your thumb on a scale and pressing down into audience manipulation. It was entirely unnecessary.

I did not have a problem with that.

The one thing that seems to be off?

[Show spoiler]He's an experienced law enforcement officer and yet once he caught up with her and handcuffed her, he did not check her for any weapons, despite knowing how dangerous and deadly she is

[therealjondoe]

This was great. Went in knowing nothing other than something about a serial killer.
Probably in my top 5 for the year

[eightslicesofpie]

Originally Posted by craigbarr2003

I saw this film a few months ago and I mostly really liked it. However, I had one huge issue with something that happens right at the start of the film.

[Show spoiler]The whole film tries to play on audience expectations, and choosing to present in non-linear acts was also a wise choice. The problem that I have is actually in the credits introduction when Willa is introduced as "The Lady" and Kyle as "The Demon." If you do that, you're not playing with audience expectations. You are putting your thumb on a scale and pressing down into audience manipulation. It was entirely unnecessary.

[Show spoiler]Those credits are very intentionally setting you up, and yet they aren't lies at all, which is why I think it's so clever. She's "The Lady"--The Electric Lady--and she kills people who she literally sees as devils. She wasn't going to kill him, just truly have sex with him, until she kissed him and saw a flash of a devil, making him a "Demon" to her

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

[Show spoiler]Those credits are very intentionally setting you up, and yet they aren't lies at all, which is why I think it's so clever. She's "The Lady"--The Electric Lady--and she kills people who she literally sees as devils. She wasn't going to kill him, just truly have sex with him, until she kissed him and saw a flash of a devil, making him a "Demon" to her

Exactly!

[MattJ1991]

Saw this and really dug it. I'm glad I made the effort to see it in theatres and not wait for streaming. The two lead performances were top notch.

[craigbarr2003]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

[Show spoiler]Those credits are very intentionally setting you up, and yet they aren't lies at all, which is why I think it's so clever. She's "The Lady"--The Electric Lady--and she kills people who she literally sees as devils. She wasn't going to kill him, just truly have sex with him, until she kissed him and saw a flash of a devil, making him a "Demon" to her

[Show spoiler]I understand what JT did and the purpose of it, but it's still an intentional manipulation of the audience to put them in one space instead of just letting the audience place their own expectations on the characters as the chapters play out and having that pull the rug. And I don't personally find that nearly as clever.

[BluBonnet]

Every single frame of every single movie is a "manipulation" of sorts - making you believe that these characters are real people, rather than just hired actors reading a script that they committed to memory before filming began, performing in locations that are either built or dressed for dramatic purposes.

It's all fake, from first frame to last.

[SleazyForWeasley]

If you haven't seen it, go. One of the best films of the year.

[eightslicesofpie]

Something disappointing from JT Mollner's AMA on reddit the other day when asked if it'll get a disc:

As a collector of physical media myself, I would love this thing to get a proper physical release. Just not sure yet and I have very little control over those things.

[SleazyForWeasley]

If Strange Darling continues to build buzz, I wouldn't be too surprised if it adds screens for week 2. Only 2 theaters in my area are playing it in tiny venues, and the one I was in Friday night was fairly full. This is the model I wish the movie business would return to rather than expecting every film to perform like gangbusters on 3000+ screens right out of the gate.

[ghostsofjoy]

I want to see this but it’s currently not playing in any of our local theaters. Hoping it expands to one this weekend or next.

[Cherokee Jack]

Wow, this was a tremendous surprise. Easily enters this year’s top 10 for me, maybe even top 5. Agree with others that you absolutely want to go into it blind. I knew I was gonna enjoy it straight away as it wastes no time dropping you right into the chase. Fantastic use of non-linear plotting, comparable to something like Irreversible. One small complaint would be that I’d have preferred they

[Show spoiler]put the final shot over the end credits like Pearl did. As is, I was kinda getting last scene from In A Violent Nature vibes at that point (a film I also really liked despite that interminable car ride).

Go see it in theaters if you can! I saw it in a triple feature with Blink Twice and Alien: Romulus and this one was easily the strongest of the three even with the other two benefitting from the Dolby Cinema treatment.

[SleazyForWeasley]

Originally Posted by Cherokee Jack

Wow, this was a tremendous surprise. Easily enters this year’s top 10 for me, maybe even top 5. Agree with others that you absolutely want to go into it blind.

[Show spoiler]I knew I was gonna enjoy it straight away as it wastes no time dropping you right into the chase. Fantastic use of non-linear plotting, comparable to something like Irreversible.

Tells you to go in blind, then proceeds to give a bunch of information. Oof

[Cherokee Jack]

Originally Posted by SleazyForWeasley

Tells you to go in blind, then proceeds to give a bunch of information. Oof

There is nothing there that spoils anything of consequence. You’re effectively informed that it will be non-linear very early on, maybe even right after opening credits. That the ending reminded me of two other recent films is a matter of style, not plotting. I suppose one could take issue with the word “chase” but again, it’s the very first scene of the movie.

Edit: Spoiled the stuff about the ending shot. I still feel what I said is very vague and not at all plot-related, but maybe it’s best to always spoil discussion of endings.

[jimcorenson]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

Something disappointing from JT Mollner's AMA on reddit the other day when asked if it'll get a disc:

Well that doesn't sound ecouraging at all i can't see why it wouldn't get a Blu-Ray release somewhere though. It is a genre movie too so why not. Hope we hear something soon and a release announcement.

[Lannister1098]

Here’s hoping for a Blu-ray release. My favorite film of the year by far.

[dex14]

Originally Posted by eightslicesofpie

Something disappointing from JT Mollner's AMA on reddit the other day when asked if it'll get a disc:

Originally Posted by jimcorenson

Well that doesn't sound ecouraging at all i can't see why it wouldn't get a Blu-Ray release somewhere though. It is a genre movie too so why not. Hope we hear something soon and a release announcement.

It's a first-time distributor who may not have the means for it. Like when A24 and Neon started doing discs, they'll likely partner with a major studio to handle physical media... or license it out.

As far as I'm concerned... this needs a 4K disc!