About the film (courtesy of Warner Bros.):
Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in paradise?
Don’t Worry Darling is a real headscratcher that often makes you raise an eyebrow while muttering, “huh?”. This is Olivia Wilde’s follow-up to the widely heralded Booksmart (2019) which was her feature film directorial debut. Coming off of that success, Warner Bros. is banking on her skills behind the camera as much as they are in front of it. Unfortunately, rumors of on the set troubles cast a negative light on the Drama Mystery Thriller well before outside eyes ever had a chance to see the finished work. I guess they took the Drama genre quite literally.
Things seem simple enough as the story begins but it doesn’t take too long for audiences to surmise that something is definitely off within the confines of this sleepy little 1950s community tucked far away from the rest of the outside world. Florence Pugh takes on the lead role of Alice, a loving and supportive housewife while her husband goes off to work under somewhat of a veil of secrecy along with the other men in the community. Harry Styles plays her ambitious and dutiful husband, Jack. Also starring are the aforementioned Oliva Wilde, Nick Kroll,
Gemma Chan and Chris Pine.
From a talent perspective, Don’t Worry Darling pulls in some major names. Having talent and getting it to portray effectively on the screen are two different things. Whether is due to the production problems or just derelict direction, the chemistry feels off in what’s translated on screen. There’s a lot of overreach occurring that makes scenes feel somewhat forced. I won’t go as far as suggesting that it feels soap opera-ish, but…
Florence Pugh is the brightest spot in this film, and it’s a Mystery as to why Olivia Wilde was unable to get similar performances from her remaining cast, including herself. When it was time to tender and caring, Pugh nails it. When it’s time to get tense or dramatic, Pugh nails it. Whatever these scenes called for, she was up for the challenge. It’s a good thing that so much of what is going on in Don’t Worry Darling revolves around her character since she is basically a one person life preserver.
Yes, due to the unknowns of what’s really going on in Victory, Don’t Worry Darling does feel like a Thriller at times. There’s just not enough of it, that kept me actively engaged. The easiest way I can categorize this without giving too much of the plot away is to say that it made me think of The Stepford Wives as directed by Jordan Peele. That isn’t a thing, but if it did, this would be that movie.
Personally, I’d stay away from Don’t Worry Darling and catch it when it hits streaming platforms. You’re honestly not missing much. And I’d definitely be more inclined to watch a documentary on what really went on behind the scenes versus what’s actually happening in the movie. If you’re already not worried and would like to see this one, it’ll be in theaters Friday, September 23rd with early showtimes on Thursday.
