Robert Winfree and Mark Radulich review movies currently on streaming services and in theaters: Strange Darling/Cuckoo/The Substance Movie Review! First up is Strange Darling (2023). Then we move on to Cuckoo (2024). Finally we review The Substance (2024).

Strange Darling is a 2023 American thriller film written and directed by JT Mollner and starring Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr. 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 2022 by Giovanni Ribisi, marking his debut as a cinematographer. It premiered at the 2023 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 23, 2024, by Magenta Light Studios. It received critical acclaim for its direction, writing, suspenseful sequences, and twists; and for the performances of Fitzgerald and Gallner.

Cuckoo is a 2024 horror film written and directed by Tilman Singer, and starring Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas, Jessica Henwick, and Dan Stevens. A co-production between Germany and the United States, the film follows a teenager (Schafer) who moves to the German Alps to live with her father (Csokas) but becomes disturbed by strange occurrences as her father's boss (Stevens) embroils her family in a sinister plot.

Cuckoo had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024. The film was released theatrically in the United States on August 9, 2024, and in Germany on August 29, 2024. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $6.7 million.
The Substance is a 2024 satirical body horror film written, directed, co-edited, and co-produced by Coralie Fargeat. It follows a fading celebrity (Demi Moore) who, after being fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a much younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.

An international co-production between France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the film had its world premiere on 19 May 2024 at the 77th Cannes Film Festival main competition, where Fargeat won Best Screenplay. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and the United States by Mubi on 20 September 2024, and in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on 6 November 2024. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $56.5 million on a $17.5 million production budget. It received five nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

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