Last year, there was one film at Fantastic Fest that I couldn’t stop talking about and telling people about, and that’s writer/director’s JT Mollner’s Strange Darling, which, after playing at Fantastic Fest nearly a year ago, now has a wide theatrical release in the U.S. Everything about the film, from the fact it was shot in 35 mm, to its stunning colors, to its soundtrack, to Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner’s performances, really captivated me.

Over the last five or so years, I’ve been really, really grateful and fortunate to cover a lot of film fests, and every now and then, there’s a true gem like Strange Darling, one you really hope gets picked up for distribution so it can have a theatrical release and a bigger audience. However, the less I say about Strange Darling the better. In my review for Horror Buzz, I tried to spoil as little as possible.

However, I will make a few points. Strange Darling is a serial killer film unlike any other media we’ve had about serial killers. It also, at least somewhat, explores our fascination with serial killers. This feature is so effective because of its twist and turns. It’s told in seven chapters and begins at chapter 3. It takes a while until the whole story/puzzle completes itself. It’s really clever storytelling, not wholly new, but done so well. I already mentioned Gallner and Fitzgerald’s great performances (maybe my two favorites of the year so far), but the film looks really gorgeous, from the production design to Giovanni Ribisi’s cinematography.

I hear so many people say that they’re tired of sequel, requels, reboots, and the like. Well, Strange Darling is a wholly original indie film that’s been lucky enough to get a wide theatrical release. Go see it. Support it. Go in as blind as you can.