The film Darling shares similarities with several works, and its storyline follows a familiar pattern: a young woman employed as a caretaker experiences psychological deterioration while residing in an old house—a setup echoing films like The Shining, The Innocents, and Repulsion. Despite these echoes, it establishes itself as something distinct. Lauren Ashley Carter delivers a remarkable performance, essentially shouldering the entire film’s weight given her near-constant presence onscreen and frequent solo scenes. It's not simple to carry a movie in this way, and she navigates a spectrum of emotions without resorting to exaggerated acting—another challenge when performing alone. I wasn't familiar with her previous work, but I plan to explore it now. I’ve noticed some criticism online regarding the abrupt visual effects meant to depict her descent into madness; however, these didn't detract from my experience and were genuinely unsettling on both a physical and mental level. The filmmakers purposefully employed strobe lighting, rapid editing, and jarring musical cues—a technique that brought Gasper Noe’s directorial style to mind, aiming to provoke deep unease in the audience. I also found it refreshing how realistically portrayed Carter's character's struggles were when maneuvering a deceased adult male’s body, given her slight build. It felt both amusing and genuine. I appreciated the filmmakers’ restraint in avoiding excessive gore and, crucially, never revealing what was contained within the hidden room that triggered her breakdown. Although I am somewhat left wanting more, I appreciate their deliberate ambiguity surrounding who she killed and why—it seems she has multiple possible histories. The movie is currently available on Amazon Prime, and it previously appeared on Netflix (where it may return). I would suggest this to those who prefer psychological horror that avoids easy answers or excessive explanation. It turns out, which didn't surprise me, that the same team was responsible for Innkeepers and House of the Devil—both enjoyable horror films known for their unconventional approach.

Source on TMDB