Hollywood has been serving up the serial killer movies as of late. In the last few weeks we’ve gotten NEON’s extraordinary “Longlegs”, the not nearly as good “Crescent City”, and M. Knight Shyamalan’s “Trap” which falls somewhere in between. Now we can add a new one to the bunch. “Strange Darling” is the sophomore effort from JT Mollner and it too has a serial killer as its centerpiece. But Mollner has his own unique recipe which separates his film from the others.

“Strange Darling” opens with a creepy scroll clearly inspired by Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”. It informs us that the movie chronicles the last known series of murders committed by one of the country’s most prolific serial killers. From there the film is segmented into six chapters and topped off with an exclamation point epilogue. The film is set in rural Hood River County, Oregon and shot entirely on 35mm film by actor-turned-DP Giovanni Ribisi.

While his story may be chaptered, Mollner makes an interesting choice – he begins midway through with chapter 3. It kicks things off with a bang as we see a terrified young woman only known as the Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) speeding down a country road. Close behind is a man in a black pickup truck who the credits call the Demon (Kyle Gallner). Their high speed chase ends after the Demon shoots out her back glass causing her to crash. The Lady is able to crawl out of the wreckage and escape into the forest before the Demon arrives.

From there Mollner hops from one chapter to another, filling in bits of his story along the way. We learn the Lady and the Demon met at a bar and after some heavy drinking got a room together at a nearby motel. But both learn neither is who they seem to be and their twisted one-night-stand leads to the Lady fleeing with the Demon in pursuit. Other players factor in including an old hippie couple, Frederick (Ed Begley Jr.) and Genevieve (Barbara Hershey). They live in farmhouse deep in the forest where they share doomsday conspiracies and try to fend off imaginary sasquatches.

As Mollner darts from chapter to chapter, it’s tempting to view what he’s doing as pretentious and unnecessary. But just as his storytelling method begins to run out of gas, he hits us with a gonzo twist that sheds a new light on everything we have seen. Instantly his approach is seen as more than just a gimmick. Instead it feels like a well-devised stratagem that alters our focus. The approach also gives a new perspective to a number of critical character choices that propel the story towards its inevitably violent conclusion.

By the time the end credits roll it’s hard not to be wowed with what Mollner has crafted. Not only does he impress with his unconventional storytelling, but he also shows off an auteur’s control. His tone management and ability to build tension are crucial. But it’s clear he also possesses a love for genre and that gives ”Strange Darling” it’s gnarly edge. There are a couple of slow patches, but they dissolve once Mollner kicks things back into gear. And you’ll be glued to the screen as his twisted and often gruesome game of cat-and-mouse plays out. “Strange Darling” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS