Parents' Guide to Strange Darling

Certainly inspired by other time-twisting movies that came before it, this thriller still feels fresh; it both electrifies and blindsides, even if it's ultimately not really about very much. Written and directed by JT Mollner, Strange Darling starts out by subverting viewers' expectations, showing us two out-of-context shots implying that one character is a serial killer. We are then given the information that this is a "thriller in six chapters," but we start with Chapter 3, then jump around to other chapters in seemingly random order. While somewhat disorienting, this is also a gift for clever viewers, who are rewarded for noticing certain details and then recognizing them when they come up again in a different context. It also allows for a controlled reveal of the characters and their personality traits and secrets; the characters are sometimes ahead of viewers, and sometimes viewers are ahead of the characters. It's a fascinating game of push-pull.

The movie even has a constantly intriguing look and feel, ranging from jokey (a red 1978 Pinto, a Scott Baio jigsaw puzzle) to sinister (a bathroom lit by a red light, an innocent freezer turned into a death device). The movie also happens to be the feature cinematography debut for actor Giovanni Ribisi; he shot it on 35 mm film, which definitely lends a vivid texture to the work. (Viewers who stick around for the entire closing credits will also hear Ribisi in a brief voice role.) In the end, Strange Darling doesn't have much to say about violence or time—it's very much a matter of form over substance—but when the form is this good, it's still worth celebrating.