With the movie already proving to be one of the best-reviewed of the year,Strange Darlingis about to cross an important box office milestone. The thriller revolves around two people, simply dubbed The Lady and The Demon, as their one-night stand begins to devolve into a game of mental chess as they begin to suspect one may bea serial killer who has been active in the area.Led by Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald,Strange Darlinghas garnered near universal acclaimfrom critics, having held a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for some time before dipping slightly to 96% at the time of writing.
Now, with the movie in its second weekend of release,Collideris reporting thatStrange Darlingis gearing up to cross a box office milestone. Having currently grossed $1.9 million domestically, the thriller is set to close out the weekend surpassing $2 million, even in spite of such competition asDeadpool & Wolverine, ReaganandAlien: Romulus. Though a smaller figure compared to bigger releases,this would put the movie halfway to earning back its $4 million production budget.
Strange Darling Continues A Great 2024 Indie Box Office Trend
Indie Movies Are Finding Success In Theaters
While 2024’s highest-grossing movies may still be dominated by franchise titles,Strange Darling’s steady run at the box office marks a continuation ofthe great trend of indie genre movies finding success in theaters. Whether it wasMaXXXinebecoming the highest-grossing installment of the horror trilogy, or the Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage-ledLonglegsbecoming Neon’s highest-grossing title to date, audiences have clearly been more open to original fare. See howStrange Darlinghas compared to some other major 2024 indie releases on Rotten Tomatoes and at the box office below:
94%
82%
71%
59%
97%
81%
70%
72%
84%
99%
83%
73%
78%
86%
60%
96%
$2 Million
In looking at whyStrange Darlinghas been staying steady at the box office, there are a variety of reasons for the thriller’s early success. One of the biggest is thatauthor Stephen King expressed his approvalfor the movie from the trailer alone, with many audiences trusting his reviews and turning out to watch what he recommends. Another is the sheer amount of critical acclaimStrange Darlinghas garnered since making its Fantastic Fest debut in 2023, with a movie holding a 100% on RT being a rarity, and pointing towards something unique when it does happen.
Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons whyStrange Darlingmay have performed solidly thus far, and could grow further in the coming weeks, is the reaction to other recent blockbuster efforts. BothBorderlandsandThe Crowfound themselves ravaged by criticsand underperforming at the box office, leaving audiences to turn back toDeadpool & WolverineandAlien: Romulus, in spite of their having already been in theaters for weeks. Whilethe upcomingBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewill certainly pose a threat to its longevity, positive word of mouth could seeStrange Darlingsteadily climb the box office charts.
2024’s Horror Box Office Run Is Nowhere Near Over
October Promises Great Movies
With the genre having already had a solid box office run,horror still has an exciting road ahead in theatersfor the rest of 2024, particularly heading into the Halloween season. The month of September is starting off with the Brandy-ledThe Front Roombefore continuing with everything from the James McAvoy-starring English-language remake ofSpeak No Evilto the body horror-comedyBooger, which currently holds a rare 100% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, to Halle Berry’sNever Let Goandthe horror-drivenHellboy: The Crooked Manreboot, though only in the United Kingdom.
Every Horror Movie Releasing In 2024
2024 has already seen some great horror movies with more coming, including sequels like Smile 2 and new movies by A24 like Heretic. When are they out?
As expected,October looks to be the month for the biggest remaining horror releases of 2024. Arguably the two most-anticipated of the month areTerrifier 3andSmile 2, both of which are looking to recapture the viral successes of their predecessors. Though November and December will see a dip in overall output, they will look to close out the year strong with the Hugh Grant-starringHeretic, Kyle Mooney’sY2KandRobert Eggers’Nosferaturemake. Check out the full theatrical calendar of remaining 2024 horror movies in the chart below:
September 27 (UK only)
Nosferatu
December 25
While the year has delivered a handful of critical and commercial misses in the genre,2024 has proven to be another major win for indie horror-thrillers, andStrange Darling’s early success at the box office marks an exciting assurance that such films will continue to find strong returns at the box office. Whether the Stephen King-approved thriller can reach the heights of its genre companions remains to be seen, but in a time in which the box office is often dominated by franchise fare, seeing original titles such as it enjoy some semblance of success in theaters is a great sign for other filmmakers.
Strange Darling
Cast
A twisted one-night stand spirals into a deadly game of cat and mouse when a relentless predator chases an injured woman through the Oregon wilderness.
