Set in rural Oregon, the film focuses on a man and woman who have a one-night stand that devolves into a cat-and-mouse game of murder. It is divided into six chapters in nonlinear order, and presented as a dramatization of the pinnacle of a serial killer's years-long murder spree in the Western United States.
Strange Darling was shot on 35 mm film on location in Oregon in the summer of by Giovanni Ribisi , marking his debut as a cinematographer. It received critical acclaim for its direction, writing, suspenseful sequences, and twists; and for the performances of Fitzgerald and Gallner.
The film's structure is non-linear , but this plot summary is written in a linear fashion. In rural Hood River County, Oregon , a woman "the Lady" meets a man "the Demon" and the two go to a local motel to have sex. Prior to renting a room, the Lady explains to the Demon the risks women take engaging in such behavior, and makes him answer whether or not he is a serial killer.
After he says no, the Lady agrees to proceed, and asks that she and the Demon engage in hyperrealistic sadomasochistic roleplay in which he pretends to be a murderer, and she his victim. After hours of roleplaying, the Lady insists the two use cocaine before having sex, to which the Demon agrees.
When the Lady begins acting cold and denies the Demon sex, she reveals that she has in fact dosed him with ketamine , which renders him severely sedated. The Ladyβin fact a prolific serial killer herself, dubbed "the Electric Lady" by the mediaβcarves the initials of her moniker into the Demon's chest.
