After all the gossip and drama surrounding the release of Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, it’s safe to say that everyone has been eager to watch the film. Unfortunately, the scathing reviews and 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes has made it clear that there might be something to worry about when watching this film.
The plot follows Jack (Harry Styles) and Alice (Florence Pugh), a couple living in a 1950s-style utopia controlled by their leader, Frank (Chris Pine). Their society replicates the ideals and values of a traditional 1950s society as the women stay at home, preparing the house and cooking dinner, ready for their husbands to return from their top-secret jobs.
Their lives run smoothly until Alice becomes increasingly suspicious of her situation and of Frank in particular. After a string of strange occurrences, her life as she knows it is changed, and she fights to understand the truth about her reality.
I went into the cinema unaware of what to expect after not watching the trailer and being unfamiliar with any of Olivia Wilde’s previous work. While I was engaged and interested throughout, there were criticisms to be made.
The plot was engaging and mysterious, with the twist at the end adding depth, although it became increasingly apparent that Wilde had valued style over substance. The build-up to the final act lasted too long, making the final realisation anti-climactic. The plot twist itself felt rushed and wasn’t as impactful as I had expected it to be.
I was also left with more questions than answers by the end, having no real explanation for a lot of important moments. Usually, I enjoy being left questioning aspects of a film, but some parts felt empty and uncomfortable as they weren’t mentioned again.
Beautifully shot cinematography and fabulous set and costume design made up partly for the somewhat disappointing plot. Ultimately, the saving grace of this film was Florence Pugh’s amazing performance as a woman stuck in her husband’s fantasy against her will.
The breakdown of her character on screen came through in her impeccable acting, unfortunately making Harry Styles’ performance look weak. Coming up against and working with a force like Pugh must have already been intimidating for Styles, but with his small amount of screen time, it is easy enough to look past.
This film focuses quite clearly on feminism, emphasising themes such as toxic masculinity and gender roles. Towards the end comes the theme of propaganda through podcasts. It reminded me a lot of Emerald Fennel’s 2020 film Promising Young Woman but inevitably felt shallow with what it brought to the table.
Yes, it is clear that misogyny is a problem, but to what extent? Although Wilde did a good job at what she did manage to cover, the film only touched the surface of what feminism means, in my opinion. I would have liked to see more intersectionality with a wider variety of people in the cast. The film seemed to represent only the white, upper-middle-class experience of misogyny which seems quite outdated in 2022.
Overall, Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is so much more than the drama that surrounds it. I would probably recommend this to someone who is a fan of Peter Weir’s The Truman Show but wants something slightly more sick and twisted. I would rush to see it again, but I think it could pick more fans up eventually in the foreseeable future.
Edited by Jemma Snowdon
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