Fresh off the film’s premiere at Fantastic Fest, Strange Darling starring Kyle Gallner has been picked up for U.S. distribution by Magenta Light Studios, Variety lets us know this week.
Variety notes, “Magenta Light has set an August 23 wide release.”
“We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” Magenta Light’s Bob Yari told Variety in a statement.
Strange Darling is currently 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 14 reviews, one of which comes courtesy of Trace Thurman right here on Bloody Disgusting. Trace reviewed the film out of Fantastic Fest, giving the cat-and-mouse thriller a 3.5/5 star rating.
Trace writes, “Writer/director JT Mollner’s Strange Darling [is] a film that dares us to question the roles men and women are expected to play.” He goes on to say that the film ends up being “a smarter-than-you’d-expect entry into the cat and mouse thriller genre.”
“What we are left with is a grim little thriller whose lofty ambitions prove to be too much for it in the end, but you’ve got to give it credit for trying,” Trace also notes in his review.
So what is the movie about? The plot for Strange Darling is mostly being kept in the dark, but Trace’s aforementioned review does give us some idea of what to expect from this one.
He writes, “Following an opening scroll informing us that the film we are about to see is a dramatization of the final known killings of a serial killer’s multi-state killing spree, we are introduced to “The Lady” (Fitzgerald) who, in an extended slow motion sequence that plays over the opening credits, is revealed to be running from “The Demon” (Gallner), and what follows is a relentless thrill ride of a film that acts as an extended, feature-length chase scene.”
Kyle Gallner, meanwhile, tweeted last night: “Go into this one knowing as little as possible.”
Stay tuned for more on Strange Darling, including an official trailer.
Kyle Gallner in ‘Scream’