“I knew this chase sequence was happening and didn’t know why.
It just doesn’t work.
That was interesting to me.
Willa Fitzgerald in ‘Strange Darling’.Magenta Light Studios
And that’s what we decided to play with.”
“It was very clear that J.T.
She is someone who, at the core of who she is, desperately needs emotional connection.
Kyle Gallner in ‘Strange Darling’.Magenta Light Studios
And then what happens next is all a response to that fundamental betrayal.
Strange Darling’s premise isn’t the only thing thatseparates it from the pack.
It’s also a visual and aesthetic departure from traditional serial killer/final girl thrillers.
Giovanni Ribisi and J.T. Mollner behind the scenes of ‘Strange Darling’.Magenta Light Studios
That’s where his first-time cinematographer came in.
“But it wasn’t something that I like to talk about.
I wanted to really cut my teeth and pay my dues.”
“Over the years, J.T.
would send me material he was working on and vice versa.
And then working on the cinematography was an evolution from that conversation.”
“For me, that time period is always really special leading up to a film.
But underneath it all, there’s this darkness that’s constantly trying to surface.
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He adds, “There’s so much content nowadays.
It’s almost like streaming services are buying it by the yard.
And I think, almost as a creative exercise, it was about being reactionary.
’s credit, that takes guts.”
“We felt defiant,” Mollner agrees with a laugh.
“It was really important for us to defy those conventions and lean into the fairytale aspect of it.
Let’s do it because we like it and because it works for these characters.”
Even the weather in the Northwest-set thriller is unexpected.
“Most Oregon horror films are dreary and gray.
Still, the director is quick to note that he’s not the only filmmaker subverting the genre.
You look atAri Aster’s film,Midsommar.
That movie’s a bright daylight horror film.
And I think it’s a brilliant movie and I just love that film.
