Strange Darling · reception & legacy

How Strange Darling has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

Premiered at Fantastic Fest 2023, then sat on the shelf for nearly a year before its August 2024 release — where word of mouth (and a Stephen King rave calling it 'a clever masterpiece') turned it into the sleeper thriller of the summer. Critics were near-unanimous; audiences have been arguing about it ever since.

What's debated

The eternal Letterboxd fight: is its scrambled-chapter structure a brilliant trap or a gimmick propping up a thin story — and are its gender politics subversive or quietly regressive?

Its footprint

The proud opening title card announcing it was 'shot entirely on 35mm film' instantly became a film-Twitter punchline and Letterboxd review opener, riffed on far beyond the movie itself. Stephen King's tweet-blurb was so good the trailer was built around it.

Where it stands

A fast-rising cult object — the twisty 2024 thriller Letterboxd users dare each other to go into completely blind.

Named by the director

Influences JT Mollner has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

• The Red Shoes (1948) — Mollner cited it as a touchstone for the film's bold, controlled use of color.
• Cries and Whispers (1972) — Named by Mollner as a reference for its saturated, expressive color palette — especially the reds.
• The Devils (1971) — Ken Russell's film was a declared visual reference point for the picture's vivid, vintage look.
• Dead Ringers (1988) — One of the films Mollner and Ribisi traded as a color and mood reference while developing the look.
• Blue Velvet (1986) — Cited by Mollner as an influence on the film's lurid color and tonal approach.
• Suspiria (1977) — Mollner named Argento's film as a visual reference for the saturated, dreamlike palette.
• Duel (1971) — Referenced by Mollner as an inspiration for the stripped-down pursuit-thriller tension.
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — Cited by Mollner as a horror touchstone for the film's raw, grindhouse-inflected menace.