So I saw the movie Strange Darling in theaters, a new thriller that’s been getting a lot of positive buzz lately. Here’s my review. I knew little to nothing about this movie walking into it. I thought it was going to be a mostly straightforward yet well made thriller, and that’s about it. While Strange Darling is well made, it’s also full of surprises, completely subverting my expectations time and time again and always keeping me on my toes. Because of that and several other praiseworthy elements, I think it’s one of Twenty Twenty Four’s best thrillers, if not Twenty Twenty Four’s best thriller so far. Written and directed by J T. Muller, Strange Darling has a nonlinear approach to its twisted story that split into six chapters. And it doesn’t waste any time throwing you into the mix as it strategically pulls back its layers like a puzzle. And once that puzzle comes together, it really comes together. This is the first film I’ve seen from JT Muller and I loved the energy and personality he brought to every scene. It’s messed up, it’s mean, and it’s full of razor sharp tension as well as a biting sense of dark humor. Not to mention, Mullner’s script is just so solid. And from a stylistic standpoint, this movie pops. It’s set in the present, but in terms of aesthetics, this feels like something from the 70s. There’s beautiful neon lighting as well as a viscerally distressing. There’s also a hypnotic Use of dissolves as well as some great camera work from actor turned cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, featuring lots of tracking shots, long takes, and at least one split diopter shot that I counted. Movie is shot entirely on 35 millimeter film as well, and it looks outstanding. But what made this movie work as well as it did for me are the perform performances. Both leads, Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, are wickedly fantastic in this, together, giving two of my favorite performances of the year so far. Overall, Strange Darling is a true gem of a thriller. I do think its final few moments are a little anticlimactic compared to how unexpected the rest of the film is, but all things considered, I had a really good time with it as a whole. And if there’s one movie to see in theaters right now, I think it’s this one. I give Strange Darling a four and a half out of five.