The other day we popped along to Cineworld to finally check out Don’t Worry Darling a movie that I was intrigued by after seeing the trailer and after all the controversy that it has been causing with Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh, but would the movie be any good and is it as weird as some people have been saying about it!
Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Gemma Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company.
All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
I have to say that the trailer for Don’t Worry Darling really doesn’t give that much away, you do get the feeling that there is some odd going on with the idyllic lifestyle that the characters are going through, but you can’t put your finger on it and this is very much the same when watching the movie.
Watching the 2h 3m movie I had my ideas of what may be going on, but there are subtle little clues dropped here and there that at first don’t really jump out at you, I’m sure after watching the movie a second time there is more to notice and pick up on, but for the first time viewing everything seems to be a moment set in time with the man being the bread-winner and the wife being the one that stays at home and does everything to make the man’s life perfect at home.
The movie does seem to have many moments where it does slow down and I did find myself getting a little fidgety with the run time, but it is one of those movies that kept me watching because I really wanted to know what the heck was going on.
It’s not until you get to a certain point in the film that you are slapped in the face with a twist that you may not be expecting, it’s a scene that takes you by surprise and still leaves you thinking is this real or is part of what Pugh’s character is going through. I sat there with a WTF look on my face, but then things all start falling into place and making a little more sense in this strange movie.
I enjoyed the casting in Don’t Worry Darling and was pleasantly surprised by Harry Styles‘s performance and enjoyed watching Florence Pugh in the lead role that certainly moves with some twists and turns with some added bizarreness to have you pondering about what is actually going on. Chris Pine’s character is one of those that you love to hate, there is something just not right about him and you aren’t too sure if there is more to him or if he is there for a reason to throw you off the sent.
The outcome of the movie wasn’t something that I was expecting, to be honest, I wasn’t sure where the movie was going and I had my ideas, but it did take me by surprise.
The sets, costumes and cinematography look great from start to finish and the vibrant colours look great big screen, the soundtrack is also wonderful to listen to with the 1950s feel. Don’t Worry Darling isn’t going to be for everyone, I enjoyed it, it’s not the best movie that I’ve seen this year, but it’s by far not the worst.
Strange, very strange!
Movie title: Don't Worry Darling
Movie description: A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.
Date published: October 6, 2022
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 3m
Director(s): Olivia Wilde
Actor(s): Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
