JT Mollner’s new action-thriller Strange Darling is another example of the insanely original genre films that have been coming out all year, following the likes of Longlegs, Cuckoo, Immaculate, and more. It’s a very different take on the serial killer genre, as it follows Kyle Gallner (Smile) and Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Show) in a mad pursuit across the country where only one of them can survive. Gallner’s character is referred to as “The Demon” while Fitzgerald is merely referred to as “The Lady,” but don’t let that color your thoughts, since it’s a movie filled with so many twists and turns, you might not want to know much more than that in advance.
Maybe it’s not weird to see actor Giovanni Ribisi’s name in the credits for Strange Darling, although for this movie, he’s joined his friend Mollner by shooting the film as its official cinematographer, and the film looks great as the two friends tried to create something that harks back to the films of David Lynch.
Last week, Cinema Daily US spoke with Mollner, Ribisi and Berg about making Strange Darling, including filming on 35mm film, and even advertising that fact in an opening title card before the film even begins. Mollner also spoke about casting legends like Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr, as two strangers who encounter the main characters during their pursuit.
Below, you also can also watch an interview with singer/songwriter Z Berg, who provided songs for the film, and we’ll have an interview with the film’s star, Willa Fitzgerald, very soon.
Video Interview with Z Berg
Singer, songwriter and musician Z Berg started her first band, The Like, when she was just 15, and that band lasted for ten years before she branched into her own music, her most recent album being “Get Z to a Nunnery” in 2020. She meet JT Mollner by chance while they were hiking, and after hearing her song “Into the Night,” Mollner brought Berg on to be the Julee Cruise to his David Lynch. (Fans of Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” will get that reference.)
Cinema Daily US had a chance to talk to Ms. Berg about her contribution to Strange Darling, which you can watch below.
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Screenwriter/Director: JT Mollner
Cast: Kyle Gallner, Willa Fitzgerald, Ed Begley Jr, Barbara Hershey
Producer: Bill Block, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Ivan Cevic
Production Co: Miramax, No Remake Pictures, Spooky Pictures
Distributor: Magenta Light Studios
Rating: R (Strong/Bloody Violent Content | Sexual Material | Drug Use | Language)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): August 23, 2024
Runtime: 1 hour 36 mins.
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You can watch the trailer for Strange Darling below: