Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Direction: Tim Burton
Country: USA

The much-vaunted return of Tim Burton, who rose to fame with films such as Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), and Sweeney Todd (2007), happens with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a visually inventive yet flawed sequel to his 1988 cult classic. Despite the 36-year gap, the original ‘80s vibe lingers in this formulaic work, whether you call it absurdist supernatural comedy or macabre dark fantasy or both. Michael Keaton returns, reprising his role as the trickster demon, as well as Winona Ryder as psychic Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as her eccentric stepmother, Delia. The cast expands with Monica Belucci as a stitched-up, soul-sucking ghost, joined by Danny De Vito, Jenna Ortega, Willem Defoe, and Justin Theroux. Unlike the others, the latter two had never worked with the director before.

While packed with Burton’s trademark surrealism, the plot — scripted by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar — feels chaotic, marked by frantic pacing, loose subplots, and forgettable villains. The film tries to balance nostalgia for long-time fans with attempts to win over a new generation but often feels like a haphazard spectacle. Despite its energetic antics and quirky visuals, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice lacks the cohesion needed to truly captivate, leaving audiences dizzy yet unsatisfied. When the credits roll, you may feel you’ve spent 104 minutes in a world of Burton-esque antics, but without much of a payoff.

Afloat (2024)

Direction: Aslihan Unaldi
Country: Turkey 

This well-crafted drama written and directed by debutant Aslihan Unaldi has its flaws but remains engaging. An intimate, unsettling look at Turkey's bourgeoisie, the film explores family dynamics with a script that provides just enough clarity to hold the viewer's interest.

The story centers on New York-based Zaynep (Nihan Aker), an aspiring documentarian, who arrives in a small coastal Turkish town to spend some family time with her divorced parents (Lila Gürmen and Serhat Ünaldi) and younger sister (Elit Iscan). She brings her protective American husband, Stephen (Oscar Pearce), with her. The confined spaces and limited privacy on the boat play a role here, enhancing tensions in a low-key chamber piece that, never really boiling, generates a subtle intrigue. 

The film seems compassionate to, and appreciative of, the people it chronicles, showing a somewhat vague if curious political side that characterizes contemporary Turkey. Much of the action unfolds naturally, steering clear of the melodrama that often dominates family narratives. Unaldi’s unobtrusive filmmaking style shows promise, and the female cast members deliver particularly compelling performances.

Lee (2024)

Direction: Ellen Kuras
Country: USA

This biographical drama about Vogue model turned war photographer Lee Miller falls into the traps of flashback-heavy storytelling that fails to fully capture the intensity of a life shaped by the adrenaline of war. Starring Kate Winslet, who championed the project and handpicked director Ellen Kuras along with the rest of the cast, the film delivers a conventional narrative that lacks the rhythm and inspiration needed to depict Miller's struggles as a daring photographer fighting for validation in a male-dominated world.

This well-intentioned but toothless biopic feels academic; its staging remains cold and distant when it should pulse with emotion. The scenes follow one another mechanically, and even the final twist fails to lift the film from its overarching sense of banality. Lee Miller, a fascinating figure, deserved a more compelling tribute, as this portrayal of her life does little beyond the bare minimum. Sadly, Lee feels inexplicably stiff.

Joker: Folie a Deux (2024)

Direction: Todd Phillips
Country: USA 

Five years after the remarkable Joker, its sequel, Folie à Deux, feels more like a crowd-pleasing cabaret show than a gripping psychological thriller. Directed once again by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, the film fails to capture even half the impact of its predecessor. While attempting to juggle multiple genres—a courtroom drama, a depressive musical, a twisted love story, and a social satire—it ultimately collapses under the weight of its own ambitions. 

Lady Gaga co-stars as the manipulative Lee, also known as Harley Quinn, singing mediocrely throughout and showing little to no chemistry with Phoenix. Their bizarre romance lacks the emotional depth needed to sustain the story, and the film looks too self-absorbed in showing the viewers how quirky and moving it thinks it really is. Meaningless and unnecessarily long, Folie a Deux is less and less appealing as it lurched toward the end. If you’re expecting chills or thrills, you'll be disappointed. The inclusion of jazz standards disrupts any potential for the sinister, unsettling atmosphere one might expect from a film centered on iconic supervillains.

Despite these shortcomings, Phoenix always fascinates, though even his brilliance can’t salvage the awkward plot. The film never fully draws you in, but for fans of Phoenix, his performance may be the only saving grace in an otherwise lackluster sequel.

Dying (2024)

Direction: Matthias Glasner
Country: Germany

Matthias Glasner’s semi-autobiographical drama, Dying offers a grim portrayal of a fractured family grappling with illness, estrangement, and emotional baggage. The film, rigorous in its execution and often shocking in its emotional rawness, centers on a severely ill elderly couple (Corinna Harfouch and Hans-Uwe Bauer) before shifting its focus to their two adult children: Tom (Lars Eidinger), a proud conductor in Berlin, and Ellen (Lilith Stangenberg), a troubled dental assistant battling alcoholism, are both too consumed by their own lives and unresolved traumas to care for their dying parents. 

Structured in five immersive chapters, the picture doesn’t have the advantage of brevity but is never boring. Carrying a great deal of coldness and pain, slightly eased by occasional black humor, the film strikes a jarring chord in family relationships, showcasing a tough reality where love cannot be felt or demonstrated. 

Bathed in vitriol, Dying alternates excellent scenes with other less successful—where incautious manipulation exists—becoming the sort of drama that one admires more than one enjoys. It ultimately finds its tone, managing to keep the viewer in suspense and with a fascination for understanding the inner conflicts of these characters. Clearly influenced by Michael Haneke, Ruben Ostlund, and Ulrich Seidl, Glasner is committed to keeping every moment grounded in truth, resulting in a satisfactory payoff.

Wolfs (2024)

Direction: Jon Watts
Country: USA

Inspired by his admiration for solitary anti-heroes in films such as Le Samourai (1967), Ghost Dog (1999), and Collateral (2004), director Jon Watts sets up a New York crime story in Wolfs, but most of it feels worn-out and lackluster. This film reunites Brad Pitt and George Clooney, who portray experienced crime scene cleaners having extreme difficulties teaming up as requested by their clients. 

The film’s intriguing opening is engaging but it quickly unravels, descending into shallow banter, self-mockery (mostly revolving around aging), and formulaic action scenes toward oblivion. Though it initially seems to channel Coen Brothers’ dark, quirky tone, it takes a wrong turn, injecting syrupy moments that come off as laughably ridiculous and will likely irritate genre fans.

Wolfs is clumsy, overly formulaic, and incompetently lazy, following a banal, unoriginal plot weighed down by cheesy dialogue and underbaked story elements. Lacking any type of genius, it’s a waste of talent and energy on all levels.

Megalopolis (2024)

Direction: Francis Ford Coppola
Country: USA 

After more than 40 years in development, Francis Ford Coppola finally unveils Megalopolis, an ambitious sci-fi epic he largely financed himself. The idea for this eccentric, dense film came to Coppola during the making of Apocalypse Now, raising high expectations. However, despite its long gestation, Megalopolis unfolds as a bloated soap-opera-like spectacle that struggles under the weight of its convoluted themes and sprawling subjects.

The story follows Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a brilliant yet enigmatic visionary with a controversial past and the ability to stop time. His grand ambition is to construct a utopian “city of the future” in New Rome. However, his dream faces fierce opposition from the city’s conservative mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), while he finds both love and support in Cicero’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), a medical school dropout.

Though the film nods to cinematic classics like Brazil (1985), Metropolis (1927), and Dark City (1998), it feels soulless. Despite the weighty themes of political struggle, futuristic utopia, and satirical pop culture, the film feels surprisingly naive, a grab bag of ancient sci-fi ideas and plastic performances that fail to provoke. Copolla dedicated the film to his late wife but Megalopolis is already seen as the greatest disappointment of the year.

Between the Temples (2024)

Direction: Nathan Silver
Country: USA

Directed and co-written by Nathan Silver, the comedy-drama Between the Temples strives to be quirky and offbeat, but ultimately misses the mark. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, the film is staged with a bunch of embarrassments that feel more flat than profound. 

The story revolves around Benjamin Gottlieb (Schwartzman), a 40-year-old kosher cantor struggling to cope with the death of his wife. He finds a glimmer of hope in Carla Kessler (Kane), his former music teacher, whom he agrees to help prepare for a late-in-life bat mitzvah. 

While the premise holds promise, the execution falters. The film never finds its rhythm, frequently losing momentum just when it should be gaining traction. Lacking the wit and style it aspires to, Between the Temples tries to inject energy into situations that implode under the weight of its own excessive pressure. 

Despite satisfactory performances from Schwartzman and Kane, the result is disappointingly televisual, culminating in a bewildering climax, full of emotional swings, that is the opposite of a knockoff. Not much in the material stimulates, and the film, sloppily rendered and off-punttingly screwy, doesn’t leave an impression.

Daddio (2024)

Direction: Christy Hall
Country: USA

Christy Hall's feature debut, Daddio, is a lackluster two-character drama that desperately seeks attention but fails to capture any. Set during a long cab ride from JFK airport to midtown Manhattan, the film—originally conceived as a stage play—stars Sean Penn as a chatty, self-important cab driver and Dakota Johnson as his passenger, a seemingly confident yet emotionally fragile woman returning to New York after visiting her estranged half-sister in Oklahoma. 

Visually dull and conversationally uninspired, Daddio lacks depth, maturity, and emotional resonance. The dialogue, filled with shallow confessions, unearned conclusions, and awkward laughs, does little to develop the characters beyond superficial traits. Penn's occasional watery eyes never feel authentic, and it's hard to believe Johnson's forced nonchalance and sudden curiosity about a stranger who seems to read and understand her. 

At its core, Daddio is void of any spark or substance. The film trudges along without ever offering anything fresh or meaningful, leaving the audience to wonder: why should we care? It feels like watching paint dry—only less captivating. 

The Substance (2024)

Direction: Coralie Fargeat
Country: USA

Coralie Fargeat’s sophomore feature, The Substance, is set to be hailed as the shock film of the year. A grotesque blend of body horror with sharp satirical overtones, it escalates in bizarre intensity until it reaches the brink of madness.

The film stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging TV star who injects a miraculous substance designed to unlock her DNA, creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. That version is played with mischievous charm by Margaret Qualley. However, Sparkle fails to adhere to the crucial condition—switch bodies every seven days—and struggles to comprehend the delicate balance needed for both versions to coexist.

The pumped up narrative swirls us up in this woman's obsession, invoking the transgressive and visceral visual traits reminiscent of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter. At its best, the film maintains a tense and unnerving atmosphere, but just as it has you on the edge of your seat, it spirals into gratuitous violence and excessive gore.

Fargeat's creation is undeniably horrific, but she pushes it too far, especially in the final act. The relentless gore feels less like a narrative necessity and more like a transgressive indulgence, ultimately undermining the careful creepiness that initially made it gripping. The last section is so filthy and exaggerated that it risks alienating viewers, leaving one to wonder why the director chose to tarnish what could have been a chillingly effective film.

The Substance is nauseating but undeniably powerful, shocking yet audacious. It’s an outrageously bloodthirsty dark fantasy that demands a strong stomach. Had Fargeat reined in the excess, it could have been a standout horror. Nevertheless, both Moore and Qualley deliver striking performances.

Kneecap (2024)

Direction: Rich Peppiatt
Country: Ireland / UK

Kneecap is an ebullient, schizophrenic biopic about the Belfast-based hip-hop trio of the same name, which unexpectedly became the symbol of a civil rights movement dedicated to preserving their native language. Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, the film thrives on the impetuosity of the rappers—Liam, Naoise, and JJ—their energetic music, anarchic irreverence, and the politically charged atmosphere of Northern Ireland. Though the film occasionally wavers between authenticity and promotional flair, it delivers enough sharp moments and humor to keep audiences engaged. 

While the true story is refreshingly original, the film’s sensationalist execution—marked by a fast editing and bouncing rhythm—feels like a pastiche of Trainspotting (1996) and 8 Mile (2002), with a dash of Guy Ritchie’s gangster flair thrown in the mix. Despite leaning on a familiar formula and evoking a sense of déjà vu, there’s a palpable passion driving the project. This gritty urban narrative brashly entertains, capturing the rebellious spirit of a trio criticized for glorifying drug use, anti-social behavior, and violence in their lyrics. As they pursue success, they must navigate opposition from Ulster-loyal police, politicians, and dangerous paramilitary groups. Without breaking new ground, Kneecap effectively captures the spark and controversy surrounding the group.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024)

Direction: Pat Boonnitipat
Country: Thailand 

The intergenerational comedy drama How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a temperate charmer, though it wrestles with some predictability in its plot. Directed and co-written by 34-year-old filmmaker Pat Boonnitipat in his feature debut, the film manages to strike an emotional chord while maintaining a light touch. The narrative centers on M (Putthipong "Billkin" Assaratanakul), a college dropout and compulsive gamer with a tendency to squander money. He volunteers to care for his 79-year-old grandmother (Usha "Taew" Seamkhum), who is dying from stomach cancer, but his motives are questionable from the start.

Despite uneven, the film delivers a feel-good experience, offering a sober and bittersweet reflection on family relationships. It can be quite mellow in spots but definitely not choppy, celebrating cranky grandmothers with big hearts and fierce independence. Even in its most painful moments, How to Make Millions retains a sense of gentleness, thanks to an accumulation of small details—both sad and funny—that make the characters relatable and endearing. Seamkhum, in particular, delivers a standout performance, grounding the film in authenticity. 

It’s not hard to guess where the story goes, but this Asian neo-realist effort sincerely acknowledges the sadness of being near death with both heartbreaking and heartwarming gestures. Boonnitipat makes an unabashedly sentimental move with an irresistible sweetness.

Close Your Eyes (2024)

Direction: Victor Erice
Country: Spain

Victor Erice, the masterful Spanish writer-director known for iconic films such as The Spirit of the Beehive (1973), El Sur (1983), and Dream of Light (1992), returns after more than three decades with another cinematic gem, Close Your Eyes. Set in 2012 Madrid, the film follows Miguel Garay (Manolo Solo), a filmmaker who is invited by a TV show to share his testimony about his best friend, famous actor Julio Arenas (José Coronado), who mysteriously disappeared 22 years earlier without a trace.. 

Close Your Eyes is a masterclass in structure, meticulously shot with intimate close-ups and an engrossing three-hour narrative. It restores faith in cinema, serving as a haunting tribute to both the medium's history and the endurance of deep friendships. Erice wields a radical simplicity and purity of gaze that only a true cinematic master can command. Every scene is given exactly the time it needs, every camera movement is intentional, and the dialogue captivates as it weaves a relatable tale of mystery, nostalgia, and the search for meaning. 

I also found curious how Erice, without being conservative, shows the changes of time with an elegant subtlety. At 83 years old, and with only four feature films to his name, Erice has an unparalleled ability to evoke mood, time, and place with a light, yet poignant, touch. Beautiful moments like the reunion between Garay and his former girlfriend (Soledad Villamil) radiate warmth and nostalgia, with melancholy lingering just beneath the surface, triggering immediate emotions and fleeting intuitions.

While quiet in tone, Close Your Eyes is rich in character and atmosphere, offering an immersive experience with the timeless quality of a classic.

Eureka (2024)

Direction: Lisandro Alonso
Country: Argentina / France / other

Lisandro Alonso, the Argentine director of the picturesque neo-western Jauja (2014), returns with Eureka, an ambitious triptych that explores the fate of Indigenous communities in the Americas through a time-lapsing narrative.The film begins as a black-and-white Western set on the U.S.-Mexico border in 1870, shifts to a contemporary Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and concludes in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Each segment is marked by distinct tones and moods, yet they are bound together by a common thread and a quirky migratory bird that traverses time.

Presented with long, static shots and a meditative pace, Eureka demands patience, offering an interplay of feverish dreams and esotericism that contrast with the underlying sadness, depression, and frustration that make everything so human. What is fascinating here is how Alonso is unafraid to shoulder the full weight of a tragic past on a defiantly uncertain future. Yet, you can expect opacity and tedium in a minute, and sharp clarity in the next. The result is a film that oscillates between sensuous beauty and mounting discomfort.

While the first story features well-known actors Viggo Mortensen and Chiara Mastroianni, much of the film relies on non-professional actors, lending an authenticity to the raw, earthy experiences depicted. Nonetheless, the inexplicability of the immaterial can also be found, creating mystery. Eureka is visually stunning, bolstered by the work of cinematographers Mauro Herce (Fire Will Come, 2019) and Timo Salminen (Aki Kaurismaki’s frequent collaborator). Alonso’s influences are felt throughout, evoking shades of Howard Hawks, Werner Herzog, and Ciro Guerra in his profound meditation on time, history, and the enduring struggles of Indigenous peoples.

Crossing (2024)

Direction: Levan Akin
Country: Georgia / Turkey / other

Crossing is a poignant drama about identity, regret, and resilience. For his fourth feature, director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced, 2019) draws inspiration from a real-life story—a Georgian grandfather who chose to support his transgender granddaughter, defying the rest of the family. The film, rooted in heartbreak and sadness, offers us a different perspective though, presenting a heartfelt plea for acceptance while offering a narrative grounded in love and hope. 

Akin, of Georgian origin but born in Sweden, shapes his characters with remarkable accuracy and decisive detail. Surprisingly centered and measured, he avoids exploiting the emotional weight of the story or shying away from its depth, offering valuable insight into the challenges faced by trans communities. 
The storyline revolves around Lia (Mzia Arabuli), a retired history teacher from Batumi, Georgia, who embarks on a journey to Istanbul in search of her long-lost niece. Her companionship with a young man, Anchi (Lucas Kankava), who is also searching for his mother and a better life, makes the trip feel less lonely. 

Crossing is crafted with some rough, heartbreaking moments but also with a level of intimacy that makes it engrossing and profound. The lead performances are phenomenal, with the chemistry between Arabuli and Kankava imbuing the narrative with authenticity. Together, they elevate the film into powerful, earthy drama likely to captivate hearts and minds.

My First Film (2024)

Direction: Zia Anger
Country: USA

In My First Film, filmmaker Zia Anger, known for her music videos for alternative singer/songwriter Mitski, ventures into meta-cinema by reflecting on the failure of her first feature attempt. The story starts off pleasurably introspective with an indie vibe, but gradually burns our patience with redundant scenes that go around in circles. At 100 minutes, it feels much longer, and for good reason—the narrative gradually loses its grip, spiraling into a disappointing, self-indulgent conclusion. 

While some experimentalism is welcomed, and Australian actress Odessa Young does the best she can, the film becomes so taken with itself, that we have no option but disconnect from it. Is this a personal diary, a therapeutic hallucination, a fictional whim, or a cry for help? Perhaps all of the above. And it’s not incoherence that drags the film down but rather its exhausting execution, which ultimately fails to make us care about the characters. 

Anger, who briefly appears in the movie to thank her actress (or herself), showcases boldness that could bear fruit in future projects. But for now, I’ll have to pass on these supposedly dovetailed ideas about artistic creation and gestation as sometimes sitting through this film feels like chewing on cardboard—bland and disengaging, with both joy and sorrow strangely out of reach.

Rebel Ridge (2024)

Direction: Jeremy Saulnier
Country: USA

Rebel Ridge is a gripping crime thriller written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who, despite exploring new tones, remains true to the spirit of his filmmaking style. In his fifth directorial effort, Saulnier delivers a taut, intense film that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish, brimming with a sticky, vicious atmosphere and a relentless sense of unease. At its core, the film tells the story of a man doing what’s right in the face of injustice. 

The director has an ace up his sleeve in the form of Aaron Pierre, who, making use of an impressive restraint, gives a convincing performance as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who tries to bail his cousin out of jail in a broke, small American town where police corruption reigns. To confront the provocations of Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his racist crew, Richmond, who silently boasts a particular set of skills, welcomes the assistance of a young lawyer (AnnaSophia Robb) marked by a troubled past. 

Though the script may not dive deep into complex layers, Pierre’s portrayal of a decent man, disrespected and pushed to his limits, lends emotional weight and authenticity to the film. Saulnier, known for the brutality and darkness of Blue Ruin (2013) and Green Room (2015), opts for a more measured approach here. He crafts a thrilling ride filled with suspense, permanent tension, and tight action sequences. Rebel Ridge moves with confidence, combining raw intensity with a streamlined narrative that evokes a modern Rambo. It’s a well-executed crime thriller that positions Saulnier as a rising master of the genre, offering a dynamite-packed summer hit.

Didi (2024)

Direction: Sean Wang
Country: USA

Didi is a thoughtful and heartwarming coming-of-age comedy-drama that offers a slice of Asian-American life, marking the debut of Taiwanese filmmaker Sean Wang, who also wrote and produced. The film draws on his personal experiences growing up in the Bay Area, delivering an authentic and emotionally rich narrative.

Set in Fremont, California, the story follows 13-year-old Chris (Izaac Wang) who grapples with family tensions, the awkwardness and insecurities of first love, and guilt over past mischief. At the same time, he navigates the complexities of friendship, discovering a passion for videography and skateboarding. An introspective posture mixed with inopportune words creates challenges in expressing his true self.

Chris’ struggles are presented with realism and relatability, immersing viewers in the embarrassment and cringe-worthy moments of adolescence as he tries to carve out his own identity. Didi delivers both funny laughs and meaningful moments. It’s an understatedly charming little movie that hits the mark; a debut with a real heart that radiates vulnerability, resilience, and authenticity, offering plenty of pleasurable rewards.

The performances are the heart of this observant film bolstered by a sharp-witted script that explores and examines teenage angst and frustration. Wang is certainly someone with a promising future, layering all the dramatic elements with poise and weaving together humor and drama into an engaging story that feels both personal and universal. The competent cast, which includes Joan Chen as Chris’ single mother, gives us reasons to care about the characters in this gratifying contribution to on-screen cross-cultural teen environment.

Red Island (2024)

Direction: Robin Campillo
Country: France 

After a six-year hiatus, Robin Campillo—known for Eastern Boys (2013) and 120 BPM (2017)— returns with Red Island, a semi-autobiographical drama inspired by his childhood in Madagascar in the early ‘70s. While the film aims to portray a personal story and a broader reflection of a wounded nation still under French rule, it often feels more like a diffuse dream than a compelling coming-of-age tale. 

The narrative centers around Thomas (Charlie Vauselle), a sensitive eight-year-old boy who is obsessed with female superhero Fantomette, a fascination he shares with his observant friend, Suzanne (Cathy Pham). Thomas is the youngest son of Colette (Nadia Tereszkiewicz), a disenchanted housewife, and Robert Lopez (Quim Gutiérrez), a French Army officer stationed at Madagascar’s military base 181, awaiting orders to leave the country. While Thomas finds solace in the fantasy worlds suggested by his comic books, he has a hard time understanding the bored adults around him. 

Despite its personal significance, Red Island suffers from a lack of clear narrative direction. Campillo’s well-intentioned but largely meandering approach succumbs to a melancholic tone and a lack of ambition. While the film is intimate and deeply political, it often feels too skeletal, failing to fully flesh out its themes. The final act, which abruptly shifts focus from the family dynamic to the Malagasy people’s struggle for freedom after twelve years of forged independence, feels underdeveloped and incomplete. 

Though there are moments of emotional depth and strong performances—Nadia Tereszkiewicz is phenomenal—Red Island ultimately doesn’t live up to expectations, becoming a film that is more fragmented than fully realized.

Strange Darling (2024)

Direction: JT Mollner
Country: USA 

JT Mollner delivers a sledgehammer blow to the audience with his sophomore feature, Strange Darling, a violent, electrifying, and psychologically twisted thriller designed to shock and unsettle. Shot in 35mm and presented in six non-linear chapters that subvert conventional thriller narratives, the film unfolds in rural Oregon in the 1970s, carving a bloody path while generating palpable suspense and a constant sense of dread. 

Darkly humorous and perversely amusing, the film provokes queasiness and anxiety, ensnaring viewers in a tangled web of questions about motivations and personality disorders. The vicious game is rendered with sharp close-ups, unexpected twists, and appropriate use of light, sound, and editing. Mollner reveals this routine inclination to extract poetic resonance from moments of pain and bloodshed—an artfully conceived exercise in disturbance, but not particularly cerebral. Still, the film succeeds by refusing to let the audience catch their breath, compelling them to accept it on its own, wild terms.

Without revealing the serial killer’s past, Strange Darling would form a compelling triptych with Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (2017) and Ti West’s MaXXXine (2024). It’s a visceral, provocative, darkly feminist thriller that occasionally laces its brutality with humor. Willa Fitzgerald (The Goldfinch, 2019) seizes her moment to shine, but it’s Kyle Gallner (Dinner in America, 2020) who truly stands out. A special mention goes to Giovanni Ribisi, the former actor and first-time cinematographer, for his impressive work behind the camera.