Strange Darling
“That's our song now” -the Lady
This is a movie I loved for a lot of reasons, but the best part was the choice that I made to go into this blind. I was planning on seeing this in an early release, but power issues at the theater caused a hiccup there and I am glad we had theaters near that were showing it. A beautifully filmed movie that constantly keeps your attention beyond the story. You forget cinematography sometimes when watching blockbusters, but when you see this you remember how moving it can be. Along with that, to avoid spoilers, I will say that the storytelling was simple yet unique and effective. I think a lot of choices were made in the making of this film, and I think they batted basically 1.000 on potentially questionable choices. I was able to leave the theater with a smile on my face and was refreshed with a great film I wasn’t expecting. I want to give nothing away so I will end the review with this, go see it!
-J
Jord saw Strange Darling over a month ago, in what I believe was a mystery movie showing that E and I missed, and we finally were able to rent it this weekend. Jord had talked it up quite a bit, so our expectations were high, and it did not disappoint! It’s hard to describe a big part of why it’s so good without spoiling it, but I think I can say there’s subversion here that is chef’s kiss. I’ve seen some Tarantino and Coen brothers comparisons for this, and while I agree, I would also say that this movie is much more stylish than those directors tend to be, and for this movie it really works. The cinematography is really masterful, and the first-time cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, who plays one of my favorite characters of all-time in Sneaky Pete, has a bright future in that world if he pursues it. It’s a straightforward film, simple plot, almost western-esque in that sense, and that ultimately capped the ceiling for me on its rating, but for what it was… it was brilliant. Super fun watch - check it out!
-Z
