Casual dating is a kaleidoscope of humour and horror: how much do I share; what do I ask; why am I sweating so much; is there spinach between my teeth - are you a serial killer?

With a screenplay that’s been tucked in a college drawer since the encore screening of Pulp Fiction, Strange Darling unwinds the tangled tale of a date gone awry; starting in the clandestine confines of a late night motel, and culminating in a serial killers final spree.

Our titular darlings: Kyle Gallner (Smile) and Willa Fitzgerald (The Fall of the House of Usher), are a match made in heaven/hell; delivering powerhouse performances where every smile and smirk twists your perception - all captured in gorgeous 35mm - a fact the film boasts in lettering larger than it's credits.

For all its magnetism, the film falls beneath the weight of its hubris: writer/directed JT Mollner wears his inspirations on his sleeve, though he forgets to sew the seams in his story. Strange Darling is sliced and scattered into six non-linear acts - unfortunately, sharing more in common with Hoodwinked than Memento. Rather than moving at a gradual and methodical pace, Strange Darling plays all its cards early; reaping its crop, trite and contrived, before sowing the far more interesting seeds.

With more red herrings than the subtropical waters of the Caribbean Sea: character motivations, dialogue, actions, and even names are revealed as pure subterfuge.

Like the dingy motel room where the best part of the plot occurs, Strange Darling shines when it submits to what it is - a simple and effective thriller.

Strange Darling will receive gasps and laughs, but whether it earnt them is up to you.

3 / 5