Don't Worry Darling is a psychological thriller set in a 1950s world that is too good to be true. This is Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial debut, starring herself, Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine. The story follows Pugh, a housewife, who begins to suspect that not everything is at it seems in her town, built by the company her husband works for.
The choices in cinematography was interesting. At first it seems convoluted but after the villains are unmasked it becomes clearer. The sets, cars, costumes and hair were perfect for the 1950s, they were chic and beautiful pieces that really help to transport you to the era.
There has been criticism that the film is more “style over substance”. I could see a bit of that. The plot was a little too long winded with some holes that could have easily been filled. About an hour and a half in I started checking how much time was left. I could see the Stepford Wives and Black Swan inspiration in the filming technique and story.
I liked the diversity in the casting but there was a lack of character development. Even with the lack of backstory Florence Pugh and Chris Pine had the best performances. Pugh was the star, she gave a wide range of emotions, and you felt her fear. I don’t normally see Chris Pine in an antagonist role so that was refreshing. He was cunning and manipulative. I also didn’t mind Harry Styles, though some said his performance was lackluster I thought he did just the right amount.
Don’t Worry Darling isn’t a movie that I would watch again but I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time. Even though this was an unoriginal idea, I still liked how everything played out. I didn’t find it has horrible as others have criticized it to be. There were great themes around control, gaslighting, and what perfection looks like. I also thought that the twist at the end was pretty good.
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