GamesRadar+ Verdict

A smart thriller that twists like a killer’s blade in the gut. Go in cold.

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Turns out Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs isn’t the only independent serial-killer movie to make a splash this year. In late August, Strange Darling, by writer/director JT Mollner (2016’s Outlaws and Angels), landed in the US to a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only that, it was warmly endorsed on X by no less than Stephen King: "It’s really terrific," wrote the horror author, "… a clever masterpiece."

Separated into six chapters (plus an epilogue) presented in non-linear fashion, this horror-thriller at first appears like it might be a bit too clever for its own good. But before long it emerges that the time-hopping, flip-flopping structure is actually in place for shrewd narrative reasons. Our initial assumptions are craftily toyed with as we’re drip-fed titbits of information while watching a one-night stand spiral into a spree of killings in the state of Oregon.

Boasting great music cues, vivid 35mm lensing (by, of all people, Avatar actor Giovanni Ribisi, who here makes his classy debut as director of photography), and engaging gender politics that establish Mollner’s interest in more than just the thrill of the chase, Strange Darling is a slick game of cat and mouse.

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That it keeps viewers invested and wired throughout is also down to a brace of terrific central performances: Kyle Gallner (2022’s Scream, Smile) oozes charm and menace as The Demon, while Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series, Reacher), simply credited as The Lady, is sure as hell gonna make sure that he remembers her name

Strange Darling is released in UK cinemas on September 20 and is in US theaters now.

For more, check out all the upcoming horror movies you should have on your radar.

Jamie Graham is a freelance writer and former Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror.