‘Strange Darling’ Filmmaker on Bringing His Twisty Horror Tale to Life

Willa Fitzgerald in “Strange Darling.”

Strange Darling writer-director J.T. Mollner attributes his twisty serial killer story, starring Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, to his childhood fascination with horror, saying the story wasn’t born out of any tragedy.

Mollner’s interest in horror began under the watchful eye of his mom. Every weekend, when his dad was working, he and his mom rented movies from the video store. Although one genre was off-limits, horror.

“When I was 7 or 8, I would walk into the horror section and see these covers of videos with blood and knives,” Mollner shared in a recent Zoom conversation. “I had a happy childhood, but horror films fascinated me. The more I was told I couldn’t see those movies, the more I wanted to watch them.”

One thing Mollner’s mom did allow was to read any book he wanted. Instead of comic books, he challenged himself with works by legendary horror author Stephen King.

“The first novel I read was Carrie, and it took me months to finish,” Mollner recalled with a smile. “In second grade, I got sent to the principal’s office for reading it, and when they called my mom, she said, ‘I’m not going to discourage my kid from reading!’”

Mollner’s creativity flourished as his interest in reading horror turned into writing his own horror tales.

“Because I couldn’t watch horror movies, my brain started creating things that were far worse and far more theatrical than the movies themselves,” Mollner said with a laugh. “That imagination led me to write and create stories.”

New in theaters Friday, Strange Darling is a remarkably original film that’s tough to discuss without giving away spoilers. Expertly shot on 35mm film by acclaimed actor Giovanni Ribisi, in his first role as a cinematographer, the movie is a ’70s-style serial killer thriller focusing on two characters: The Demon (Kyle Gallner) and The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald).

The movie begins with a harrowing scene of The Demon chasing The Lady with a shotgun, connected to a lurid one-night stand that went horribly awry. As the story unfolds, audiences will find that Strange Darling is not what it seems. The movie is told in six chapters, starting with Chapter 3, defying conventional storytelling.

Mollner said the first image viewers see in Strange Darling was the first idea he had for the story. Inspired during hikes in the Santa Monica Mountain Range near his home, he envisioned a Final Girl running through the woods to the song Love Hurts.

“One of the toughest sells with Strange Darling was its non-linear format,” Mollner said, referencing similar storytelling techniques used by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. “Some people thought it wouldn’t be understood because of the sequence, but films like Rashomon and 21 Grams had done it before.”

Despite the risk of spoilers in today’s digital age, Mollner believes the success of Strange Darling doesn’t hinge on its big reveal. Instead, it marks the beginning of the story’s wild and unpredictable nature.

“There’s always something for me to talk about with this movie,” Mollner said. “It’s not like The Sixth Sense, where once you see the twist, you’ll never feel that rush again.”

Mollner explained that while The Sixth Sense, which he loves, relies on its big twist, Strange Darling isn’t that type of movie.

“There are surprises in the middle and a bit more at the beginning of the third act, but then we live in the world we know for about half of the movie,” Mollner said.

Mollner added, “The movie is about stereotypes and expectations based on certain archetypes and subverting those expectations. It’s also about learning about yourself when you’re watching the movie.”

While audience reactions are yet to be seen, Mollner was thrilled by one particular endorsement. On July 31, horror luminary Stephen King posted on X, “I wish I could say more about STRANGE DARLING, but it’s one of those films that’s too clever to spoil, so best to say nothing.”

For Mollner, whose creative journey started while reading Carrie in second grade, King’s post was a full-circle moment. But he’s not ready to close this chapter just yet. As Strange Darling premieres, Mollner is writing a screenplay adaptation of King’s 1979 bestselling novel The Long Walk.

Strange Darling, rated R, opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

Source: Forbes