Don’t Worry Darling Is A Psychological Thriller Worth The Watch

There has been a lot of buzz about Don’t Worry Darling since it began production in late 2020. The film is based on the screenplay written by Carey and Shane Van Dyke and adapted for the big screen by Katie Silberman.

Directed by Olivia Wilde, it features Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Wilde and Nick Kroll in a psychological thriller set during the 1950s in a small town in California. The film, released on Sept. 23, follows Alice (Florence Pugh) and her husband, Jack (Harry Styles), a young couple in their honeymoon phase.  

All the men in the town work for Frank (Chris Pine) on the classified Victory Project. Typical of the 1950s social construct, the wives stayed at home while the husbands went to work. 

When Alice’s friend, Margaret (Kiki Layne), starts speaking out of turn at a social event, it sparks curiosity in Alice about her place in Victory. From that point, Alice starts having flashbacks and hallucinations and goes on a journey to understand what is happening while her husband and friends disregard her concerns. 

With such an incredible cast, more was expected than was delivered. Don’t Worry Darling was definitely overrated, but it also wasn’t as bad as critics said it was. 

The film was beautifully shot with a yellow, gold hue that gives the illusion of living in a daydream. While there were many questions about Style’s acting, his performance is up to par with the rest of the cast. The score fits the movie well, emphasizing moments of ease and discomfort. Pugh and Pine’s performances were outstanding and carried the film.

Don’t Worry Darling gives the audience enough information to proceed with the plot but no connection between characters to explain their actions. Many small details—like the airplane and earthquake scenes—do not add to the story and make you question their reason for being included. In addition, several storylines, like those of Margaret and Shelley (Gemma Chan), were undeveloped and should have been further explored. 

The film would have been better off sticking to the original screenplay because it did a better job of explaining the plot and guiding the audience. However, the movie is still worth the watch, especially if you enjoy movies like The Matrix, The Truman Show and Get Out.