Do Worry Darling: A review of Olivia Wilde’s 'psycological thriller'

3/5 Stars

Don’t Worry Darling was really a movie that felt like a movie, but a not-so-good movie.

Spoilers Ahead*

The psychological thriller, directed by Olivia Wilde and based on a screenplay by brothers Carey and Shane Van Dyke (Yes, those Van Dykes’), was released on Friday 23rd September after a media frenzy similar to that of an old Hollywood drama (read here). Whether the spectacle was or wasn’t a publicity stunt, the cinemas’ were indeed packed on Friday night. What emerged, however, was a slightly lacklustre film, with a predictable and disappointing ending.

Image courtesy of Vogue

Firstly let us focus on the positive. The costumes were magnificent, the cinematography was glorious and so too was the score. Florence Pugh carried the film, with her quality performance and timeless charm, like most films Pugh takes part in, she was fantastic. As was Chris Pine’s, creepy, sleazy and unsettling character. Yet, these seem to be the only positives in Wilde’s second foray into directing. I didn’t leave the cinema disappointed that I had spent the money, it was a fun Friday night out, and I was engaged throughout the course of the film. However, if you enjoyed Booksmart, it’s safe to say you will be slightly disappointed with Don’t Worry Darling.

The film starts with Pugh and Styles in a 1950s ‘utopia’ where the men go off to work every day and the women cook, clean, and do ballet whilst they’re away. The only condition is that the women do not inquire about their partners’ job descriptions and are completely in the dark about what the men do in the so-called victory project. A part of me feels this idyllic 50s landscape, with everything not being as it seems, has been done before - see Stepford Wives. Overall, the discovery that the women were put in the 1950s simulation by their ‘incel’-coded boyfriends/partners, wasn’t, in fact, that surprising or as clever as Wilde seemed to want to make it.

Image Warner Bros.

Whilst common for directors to pop up in their own films, I may have screamed in the cinema if Olivia Wilde’s annoying character appeared on the screen once more. A character who, while knowing the true nature of her friend's situation decided to do nothing to help her. Not to mention had a random redemption sob story nearing the end of the film. While there is no doubt Wilde can act, she could have, instead, hired someone for the role of Bunny and focused on fine-tuning the directing. A lot of the film was surface level. The main focus seemed more to do with the film's visual appeal as opposed to the development of story. Something that in a world of phones, short videos and likes; was probably quite a lucrative choice to make.

Warner Bros.

Styles’ acting was sub-par, and his quieter moments were decent but I found myself sniggering in the cinema at the more intense scenes of him shouting and crying, a reaction I doubt was intended. While I’m all for Styles expressing himself through other creative outlets, any casting director hiring him for a role in the future is likely seeking a cash grab over a quality addition to their film.

I’ve seen mixed reactions on TikTok. The common thread seems to be that those who loved the film appear to be previous Harry Styles fans, and you honestly can’t blame for loving it. Styles was incredibly suave in the film (well, until the end), however, when taking off those rose-tinted fan glasses and breaking down the film, it really wasn’t as excellent as its being made out to be. Apparently the original ending was even changed. An ending which honestly sounded better than Wilde’s conclusion. Not to mention the car-chase at the end which was a bit messy.

Many plot points were left unanswered, lazily ending the film with holes. The earthquakes were never explained, and the plane (symbolism or not) was never touched upon again. Was Gemma Chan’s character in on it all? Was Alice’s family looking for her? Did she not have friends or colleagues? Could Jack not have cut his hair? Questions I hope there is no sequel to answer.

If I am completely honest I enjoyed the off-screen drama more than the film, for me a major positive that came from the creation of Don’t Worry Darling. I do hope there are more old-style off-screen Hollywood dramas to come because that indeed, is, true entertainment.

Vogue

Special mention to Arianne Phillips, the costume designer who did an excellent job.