#kyle garner

Surprised, Parker Selfridge have a job as cinematography in Strange Darling.

And he killed it every second shot

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By Hector Franco

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Published: August 26, 2024

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.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 31, 2024

Only a handful of films can captivate and immediately engage an audience. It's a delicate balance of narrative and style. Strange Darling, with its unique nonlinear structure presented in six chapters and an epilogue, emerges as the standout horror thriller of 2024.

In his second directorial film, JT Mollner tells the story of a serial killer in the final encounter of their life. Exposition into the characters' backgrounds is minimal, keeping the plot focused on just one event. Strange Darling stars Willa Fitzgerald as the Lady, Kyle Garner as the Demon, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley, Madison Beaty, and Steven Michael Quezada. 

The film's storytelling is as unique as its structure, with out-of-order chapters that immediately plunge the viewer into a gripping cat-and-mouse game. As each chapter unfolds, the story gradually reveals more about the plot. Strange Darling skillfully manipulates societal norms and assumed gender roles to lead the audience into believing one character is the victim and the other the perpetrator.

The two leads, Fitzgerald and Garner, shoulder the film's weight with their stellar performances. Their scenes are among the film's most memorable, both in terms of the writing and cinematography. Giovanni Ribisi, known for his roles in Sneaky Pete and Ted, served as the film's cinematographer, shooting the entire project on 35mm film. 

Over the last few years, Garner has shed the gothic introvert typecasting that enveloped the first half of his career. He now takes on the role of menacing characters who take deliberate actions, choosing scripts that give him nuance and not falling into another action-star or villain stereotype. Fitzgerald is best known for television shows such as Amazon Prime's Reacher and Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher. Strange Darling is her breakout performance as she steals the show. Once the film's twist or subversion is revealed, it provides more context to the previous chapters, adding a new layer to what the viewer has witnessed. 

Mollner's script has an intensity from the start, but knowing when to slow down and pick things back up is where it shines. While the Lady and the Demon are the prominent figures in Strange Darling, some characters featured are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, adding to the sheer insanity of the film's events. Genevieve (Barbara Hershey) and Frederick (Ed Begley Jr.), a couple enjoying an intriguing and odd Sunday breakfast, live in a home near where the Lady is attempting to escape. Through no fault of their own, they become victims of the main characters' actions. The addition of these characters may have been influenced by Mollner's background as an avid reader of Stephen King's stories, which featured antagonists and those along the unfortunate ride of their story. 

"Even though I was way too young, the first novel I read was Carrie, and it took me months and months to get through it," Mollner told Forbes. "In second grade, I got sent to the principal's office for reading it, and when they called my mom, she said, 'Hey, I'm not going to discourage my kid from reading!

"Because I couldn't watch horror movies, I'd still see the covers for them at the video store, and my brain started creating things that were far worse and far more theatrical than you would ever see in the movies. That must have something that had a little bit to do with the imagination I ended up with. Since then, when stories come to me, I have to write them and have to make them."

2024 has been a mixed year for horror. There have been prequels that over-achieved, such as The First Omen, trilogies concluding with MaXXXine, genius marketing and word of mouth with Longlegs, and your standard studio low-tier horror with Imaginary and Night Swim. Strange Darling sets itself apart even from the best of the year with its story and characters keeping you engaged from start to finish. As word of mouth travels, Strange Darling will earn recognition for being one of the truly unique experiences of 2024 that delivers in terms of story, character, and execution.

A scene from Scarecrow County with the amazing Chelsi Kern.

Brownie from Scarecrow County

Look, Ma! I’m acting with Jeff Shull in a scene from John Oak Dalton’s Scarecrow County!

On the set of John Oak Dalton’s Scarecrow County (3/3/19), I acted with the lovely and talented Chelsi Kern, wore a do-rag for the first time, and swept a bit.