Wondering if you should spend two hours of your life watching Don’t Worry Darling in cinemas? We share our two cents.
There’s plenty of buzz in the air over Olivia Wilde’s latest thriller, Don’t Worry Darling (out in cinemas since 22 September). But the film hasn’t been making headlines for the right reasons. There’s so much drama surrounding the cast – from Shia LaBeouf’s questionable departure to Harry Styles’ mediocre acting to Florence Pugh’s soured relationship with Wilde. The big question: is this movie worth the drama? And should we spend money to watch it in cinemas? We unpack all of it in our review.
Don’t Worry Darling review: A utopia… for men?
The first few minutes of the film introduce us to the picture-perfect life of Alice and Jack Chambers. The couple live in a cul-de-sac in the idyllic town of Victory, host alcohol-fuelled dinner parties, and are madly in love with each other. You’ll notice they have a very stereotypical husband-and-wife dynamic in line with the film’s 1950s setting. Jack (Harry Styles) works to put food on the table; while Alice (Florence Pugh) keeps their home tidy, prepares delicious meals, and goes shopping with her gal pals.
The town is a utopia, but mainly for men. There are topless women walking around and stripper shows to reward a man’s hard work. The women are told not to ask questions about what their husbands do for the neighbourhood’s cult-ish leader, Frank. A wife’s highest calling here is to serve and support the men in their lives.
But something’s off. Despite the cheeriness of its inhabitants, Alice begins to sense things are amiss. Think empty eggs, mysterious earthquakes, unexplainable visions, and a tune she hums (that she can’t seem to remember where she’s heard from). It’s clear that there’s more to this paradise than meets the eye.
It’s a mess, but it’s gorgeous
If I had to name things I loved about Don’t Worry Darling, it would be the cinematography, brilliant outfit choices and use of colour. Sure, the storyline falls flat toward the end (more on that later), but from the get-go, you can’t deny this movie is visually stunning.
Wilde appears to use colour to highlight each character’s consciousness of the sinister happenings around them. At the film’s start, Alice is dressed in pastel and vibrant shades to match the perfect world around her. As things progress, you can see her start to fall apart. In one scene, she wears a dress with a pattern like cracking glass to symbolise her fragile mental state. Her outfits get darker and darker to show she’s no longer bewitched by the town, particularly in scenes where she’s close to the truth.
I enjoyed spotting these little easter eggs and hidden details throughout the film. But gorgeous visuals and clever costumes can’t save this movie from its lacklustre ending.
Come for the drama, stay for Florence Pugh
By now you know the cast of Don’t Worry Darling includes star-studded actors like Chris Pine and Gemma Chan. But we’ve really gotta give it up for Miss Flo. Pugh dominates in each scene as Alice Chambers, and effortlessly brings to life every emotion her character experiences – from happiness to curiosity to confusion to fear.
There are tons of comments online from fans and critics alike on Styles and his questionable acting. But though he can’t hold a candle to Pugh, I thought he did alright (although this could be because he had noticeably less screen time, and a role that’s much more dismissable).
If the rumours are true, however, that Styles was paid more than Pugh to star in this show, it’s not tough to see why she’s upset about it. She carried the entirety of the movie on her back. I’d argue that outside of its beautiful cinematography, Pugh is Don’t Worry Darling’s saving grace.
A not-so-thrilling thriller
The underlying message that Wilde seeks to convey is commendable. In today’s world, more women are stepping away from traditional roles and expectations. Men are no longer in control of women, and some are afraid of what this means for them. The film puts a spotlight on the challenges experienced when women go against the grain of the patriarchy. And, like in the case of Alice and Jack, the consequences they face when a man’s ego and masculinity are threatened.
But even then, I didn’t find myself impressed at the conclusion of Don’t Worry Darling. It lacked impact. I’m convinced this might’ve been because Alice seemed too aware of what was going on much too early in the film. There was no time for the audience to be tricked or entranced by the idyllic, perfect town of Victory. By the time the big reveal dropped in the last 30 minutes of the movie, it came as a surprise to nobody.
TL;DR, in case you’ve scrolled to the end just for the verdict. If you’re big on cinematography and visuals, go ahead and catch Don’t Worry Darling on the big screen. But if you’re looking for a movie you won’t regret spending your dollars on, I’d wait for this to drop on streaming services in Singapore. Overall, it’s a 5/10 for me – not worth the drama.