Two thrillers in 2024: One directed by JT Mollner (second feature), the other by Zoë Kravitz (directorial debut). One is a non-linear narrative twisting the crime thriller/slasher genre on its head with themes of control and consent, the other playing into the horror of modern topics about toxic masculinity, trauma, and also consent. And both are quite brilliant in their own way.
Strange Darling is written and directed by JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels) and stars Willa Fitzgerald as “the Lady” and Kyle Gallner as “the Demon”. To explain their identities and names would be to step into spoiler territory, so for the purpose of this review, know that the Lady is running from the Demon, wounded and bloody, with their narrative being told out of order over six chapters.
The opening chase between the frantic and erratic Lady, driving a rather beautiful red Ford Pinto, and the coked-up Demon, pursuing in his pickup truck, is an excellent sign of things to come. It’s a tightly-edited affair, with precise and specific shot choices mixed with a manic tone that reminds one of the “Night Rider” opening to 1979’s Mad Max. This chapter of the story “Can You Help Me, Please?” is actually the middle of the narrative, with no context given for the events, so we can only assume the Lady has been attacked by the Demon akin to a slasher movie’s usual events. Assume nothing.
As each chapter unfolds (three then five, one, four, two, and then six) the relationship between this Lady and this Demon is explored in the most subversive and intriguing way that I have seen in quite some time. Strange Darling takes your expectations of the serial killer or slasher movie story, cuts them up into little pieces, and then throws it all into a blender to create something fresh, exciting, and dangerous.
Strange Darling is a dark delight that showcases excellent and disarming lead performances from Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, perfect editing by Christopher Robin Bell, and extraordinary celluloid cinematography by debut DP Giovanni Ribisi. Strange Darling is a thrill, a scream, a wild ride into terror and violence, directed with aplomb by JT Mollner, and will hopefully remain as one of the best films of the year.
Streaming Availability:Blink Twice is co-written and directed by Zoë Kravitz (her first film in either capacity) and stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress working an exclusive event with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) when she bumps into and falls for billionaire tech CEO Slater King (Channing Tatum). Before Frida and Jess know it, they’re invited to King’s private tropical island with a group of his “closest” friends to basically drink themselves stupid for…who knows how long. It’s all good vibes and sunshine until Jess suddenly disappears, no-one remembering she exists, and Frida slowly realises that jetsetting at the last minute to a private island in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of strangers wasn’t exactly the smartest decision.
Blink Twice is a psychological thriller born in a post-Get Out world, where socially-conscious horror movies have become not only critical delights but commercially successful affairs. There is still a taste for horror films that not only thrill you with fear and danger, but they leave you thinking about how that terror is a real thing in the modern world.
Zoë Kravitz has more than enough on her mind going into this story: there’s influences of billionaire tech moguls turning out to be bizarre people (go figure), the reality of Jeffrey Epstein’s empire involving so many famous and powerful individuals, our modern relationship with therapy and how to negotiate trauma, and how we understand consent in a #MeToo world.
For all of that thematic weight, Blink Twice isn’t lacking in its comedy or visual style, akin to the success of Jordan Peele’s entire filmography. The first hour or so of Blink Twice is an overpowering montage of drunken adventures, fast and loose dialogue amongst an incredible cast (note Adria Arjona, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, and Geena Davis), strong comedic chemistry with everyone, intoxicating sound design and mixing, and all photographed perfectly by Adam Newport-Berra. It’s a delirious dream, lurid yet picturesque, and Kravitz shows a tremendously confident hand in not letting the danger present itself until we are totally wrapped into this “too good to be true” world.
Once Frida realises what is actually happening and begins to regain her memories of where Jess went, the film’s opening trigger warning becomes an apt choice. The depiction of violence, of ripping away female body autonomy, of the sense of control, is deeply disturbing, but never becomes too overwhelming. Zoë Kravitz’ story, co-written with E.T. Feigenbaum, has a reach that exceeds its grasp, dealing with perhaps too many complex themes and ideas, but the tone is balanced correctly to leave you feeling thrilled, disturbed, and satisfied.
Naomi Ackie is the perfect lead for this movie, developing an empowering and delightful connection with Adria Arjona’s Sarah, Channing Tatum stuns with an extreme balance of humour and horror (probably even a career-best performance), and the whole cast get their fair share of hilarious and intense moments to sink the teeth into. Blink Twice might buckle under the weight of narrative contrivances and conveniences, but when the style is this evocative, the performances this unexpected, and the effect this entertaining, perhaps forgiveness isn’t so hard.
Streaming Availability:Strange Darling
Director: JT Mollner
Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Madisen Beaty
Writer: JT Mollner
Blink Twice
Director: Zoë Kravitz
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat
Writers: Zoë Kravitz, E.T. Feigenbaum
