The less you know about "Strange Darling," the better.

Cold turkey is the best way to go into it, which means no trailers and no reviews, which puts yours truly in a precarious spot. This is a seriously tricky thriller that confounds and upends expectations at every turn, and the surprises are part of the roller coaster ride on which it takes viewers.

My recommendation: Stop reading now, go see it, and then come back to this space later. Oh yeah, don't forget the popcorn.

For everyone else, here's a light plot summary and a sincere attempt to not give anything away.

A man known only as the Demon (Kyle Gallner) and a woman known only as the Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) are in a car at the beginning of some sort of date. It appears they've maybe met online. There's flirtation and palpable attraction between the two parties. But you never know who somebody might really be these days, especially with all those true crime docs and podcasts out there, and sometimes it's safer to just come right out and ask. "Are you a serial killer?" she asks him. Hey, it's a fair question.

"Strange Darling" goes from there, unfolding in six chapters, which are jumbled up (we start with Chapter 3) like writer-director JT Mollner (2016's "Outlaws and Angels") tossed the pieces in the air and assembled them back together in random order.

But it's not random at all, and his storytelling thrives on viewers being thrown out of whack and knowing as little as possible, having their brain fill in the gaps about what they're seeing based on their own preconceptions and gender and sexual politics, and then having the rug pulled out from underneath them. Mollner is able to do this continually throughout the film, and the performances are both masterful in shattering audience assumptions and stringing viewers along for the whole madcap journey.

If you've heard anything about "Strange Darling," besides that you shouldn't hear anything about it, it's probably that it was shot by actor Giovanni Ribisi. The actor, who is also a producer on the project, fills his frames sharp colors and vivid hues which — along with Craig DeLeon's loud, sometimes overactive score — add to the rich texture of the film.

"Strange Darling" is a contemporary thriller, though many of its details — including the fact that it was shot on 35mm film, which is proudly declared in an opening title card — give it a throwback '70s feel. That helps add to its mood, and to the way it makes viewers feel displaced in the moment. While "Strange Darling" is best left as a surprise, here's one thing worth spoiling: It's one of the year's best movies.

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'STRANGE DARLING'

GRADE: A

MPA rating: R (for strong/bloody violent content, sexual material, drug use and language)

Running time: 1:37 minutes

How to watch: in theaters

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