Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Strange Darling!

best horror thrillers of 2024, with it being almost universally agreed that it is best to go into the critically praised film completely blind. The film's story and non-linear structure allows Strange Darling to be a truly unique experience, with the tense and hilarious serial killer movie having an absolutely explosive ending that has left audiences stunned.

Strange Darling tells the story of a seemingly normal one-night stand that secretly involves a serial killer, but the film heavily plays around with who the serial killer actually is. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner star in the cast of Strange Darling as The Lady and The Demon respectively, and while it initially seems like The Demon is the serial killer, it turns out that it is truly The Lady. Known as the notorious Electric Lady killer, Fitzgerald's character attempts to make a victim of Kyle Gallner's character, but he quickly turns the tables and starts violently pursuing her.

What Happens In Strange Darling's Ending

The Epilogue Is Absolutely Explosive

Although Strange Darling is told in a non-chronological order, the film does end with its chronological ending, with this being a surprise seventh chapter in the form of the epilogue. After killing The Demon, two police show up to the scene of the murders. However, they falsely believe that the Electric Lady is the victim, with them getting her into thier police car and driving her back to town. However, Genevieve coincidentally spots the car and approaches, asking for help. When she notices the Electric Lady, Willa Fitzgerald's character shoots her, revealing her identity to the police.

In the epilogue, the Electric Lady lets one of the officers go and forces the other to continue driving. Eventually, she exits the vehicle and shoots the officer, killing him. She decides to hitchhike, finding another driver who will take her into town. The Lady pulls her gun out in an attempt to shoot the driver, but the driver ends up being faster, fatally shooting The Lady. Strange Darling ends with an extended shot in which the audience watches life leave The Lady, with the colors transitioning to black and white as she dies in the enger seat.

What Is The Chronological Order Of Strange Darling's Story?

The Chapters Are Told Completely Out Of Order

Strange Darling is told out of order, with the film using its non-chronological structure to create mysteries and rasie questions that otherwise wouldn't happen. Chapter 1 is the chronological start of Strange Darling's story, although it is the third segment that is presented. This segment starts with The Lady and The Demon in a car outside of a motel, with it ending as they continue thier sexual encounter. Chapter 2 comes next, with it being the fifth segment that is shown. This chapter starts with The Lady drugging and torturing The Demon before he shoots her, starting the chase.

Chapter 3 is the first segment that is shown, with it starting with The Demon pursing The Lady in a car chase and ending with her arriving at the home of the mountain people. Chapter 4 is the fourth segment that is presented, with it showing the point-of-view of Frederick and Genevieve as The Lady arrives at their house up until the moment that she kills Frederick and The Demon arrives. Chapter 5 is the second segment that is presented, with The Demon searching the house and then shooting The Lady.

Chapter 6 is the sixth segment that is presented, with The Demon handcuffing The Lady to the freezer. The Lady then kills him, with the police showing up and driving her back into town. Genevieve shows up and is killed by The Lady, leading to the aforementioned epilogue that ends the film.

Who Is The Victim In Strange Darling?

Is It The Lady Or The Demon?

The biggest question throughout Strange Darling has to do with who is actually the killer and who is the victim. The first three segments trick the audience into thinking that The Demon and The Lady have a consensual sexual encounter until The Demon takes things too far, with him being the killer and The Lady being the purported victim. However, the end of Chapter 4 and the start of Chapter 2 reveals that The Lady is actually the killer and that The Demon was meant to be murdered, although he managed to turn the tables on her.

The Electric Lady's Death Is Meant To Elicit Confusing Emotions

Her Death Creates An Interesting Juxtaposition

One of the most talked about parts of Strange Darling is its final shot, which shows the death of the Electric Lady. In the film's ending, the camera holds on The Lady after she is shot by the driver, with the audience being forced to watch the life slowly leave her eyes. Although The Lady is a violent serial killer, Strange Darling presents this final scene in a very sympathetic way. This interesting juxtaposition elicits a confusing emotion from viewers, as the events of the film would otherwise not paint The Lady in a sympathetic light.

Although The Lady is a serial killer, Strange Darling makes it clear that her violence comes as a result of visions that she sees. While The Lady is making the decisions to kill, she is being influenced by an unknown mental illness or some other force, making her much more complex than a simple serial killer.

The Real Meaning Of Strange Darling's Ending

Strange Darling's Themes Are Very Controversial

The thematic implications of Strange Darling have been incredibly controversial, with many different critics and viewers having varying readings of what the film is trying to say. Strange Darling is a film that examines the idea of how prejudices can be dangerous in a unique way, highlighting how one's own prejudices can literally be dangerous to themselves.

Throughout the film, characters constantly assume that The Demon is the dangerous one and The Lady is the victim, when in reality The Lady is a notorious serial killer. These beliefs often come from biases that lead the characters to not look beyond the face value of The Lady, with them not seeing the aptly-named character as anything more than a helpless woman. She takes advantage of these biases, portraying herself as the victim in order to get out of trouble several times throughout the film.

Strange Darling even attempts to put the audience in the shoes of these biased characters, relying on internal biases and the story structure to make the audience come to the same assumptions. This is a very touchy central dramatic argument, with some viewers having interpretations of this message that have some negative implications. This is one of the reasons why the conversation around Strange Darling's ending is so interesting, and it may be up to the director to fully explain the film's true message.