Darlin’ is Pollyanna McIntosh’s follow up to Lucky McKee’s The Woman. Admittedly I have not seen the previous film (nor have I read any of the related books by Jack Ketchum), but I feel this is not necessary as the film is capable of standing on its own. The acting performances from Lauryn Canny (as Darlin’) and McIntosh (as the Woman) were superb, focusing primarily on non-verbal communication, but I was left wanting more screen time for Cooper Andrews’ sympathetic nurse. Scriptwise, there were blips of sociopolitical concerns that were never fully expanded upon. Clearly wanting to make a statement (as evidenced by the credit music which was cheesy at best), none of the issues were addressed enough directly or metaphorically to hold any weight. Impactful social commentary isn’t easy.
Darlin’ screened at Cinepocalypse 2019.
