Right up until practically the end of the film, Strange Darling features two mysterious characters who are trying to measure each other up.

A man, known to us as The Demon (played by Kyle Gallner with commanding fervour), and a woman, known to us as The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald in an ideal breakout role), hook up and find themselves at a seedy hotel ready to engage in a one-night-stand.  However, realizing that they both have nothing to lose by matching each other’s “freak”, they opt out of traditional sex and have fun role-playing.  They push each other to their edge, and then some, but they have a mutual agreement that they want to explore the limits of comfort and control.  Their commitment fades the line separating make-believe and reality to a degree that initiates a cat-and-mouse chase.

JT Mollner’s sophomore effort as a feature filmmaker is seemingly disorganized;  perhaps to match the messy nature of the wild night between The Demon and The Lady.  Mollner cuts back and forth between chapters of this intense story, and trusts his audience to remember previous pieces to Strange Darling’s puzzle.  While that may sound intimidating to moviegoers looking for an entertaining thriller, it’s a relief to figure out how easy it is to follow the narrative.  With audience attentiveness and elements of surprise and suspense, Strange Darling unravels a cleverly-told story that subverts its pulpy expectations.

The film also has a steady handle on its style;  using notes of exploitation cinema to attract the viewer’s curiousity before proposing twisty perspectives or sudden dark humour.  While it’s clear that Mollner has a vision for this story, this success can also be attributed to the unique production design and the 35mm cinematography by actor-turn-director of photography Giovanni Ribisi.

While Strange Darling won’t be for everyone, movie goers looking for an absolute wild card of a film will be more than pleased.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie