“Don’t Worry Darling,” a psychological thriller and drama, follows Alice Chambers, played by Florence Pugh, and husband Jack, played by Harry Styles, as mysterious acts unfold in the town of Victory.
The location of the film is an undisclosed desert with a morphed 1950s-style time period. Each morning, husbands leave to work on a concealed mission that the wives are forbidden to know about.
While the men are at work, the wives are tasked with duties that include cleaning, polishing, washing, cooking and shopping.
Despite being entertained by continuous gossip and countless nights of cocktail parties, Alice begins feeling uneasy as she starts experiencing confusing visions that do not make sense. The story follows Alice as she investigates these visions and the truth behind Victory.
Before the release date of Sept. 23, controversy surrounded director Olivia Wilde and both leading stars, Styles and Pugh. Styles, a famed worldwide musician, and Wilde, a Hollywood figure, became romantically involved outside of the film, causing Styles’ fans to entice drama surrounding the couple.
This drama infiltrated talk of the movie and before Wilde’s creation even hit theaters, the film and drama were nearly inseparable. Pugh and Wilde also frequently disagreed during the filmmaking process, and Pugh was disappointed with the copious press surrounding Styles. There was also controversy revolving around Shia LeBeouf, who was originally cast before Styles was recast in the role.
The “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour arrived at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5, and nearly instantly, rumors started circulating around the cast once again. This time, fans speculated that lead Harry Styles had publicly spit on co-star Chris Pine. That news broke the internet and in a matter of hours, the topic was trending on social media.
Styles has publicly refuted these accusations in a joking manner, during one of his Love On Tour stops in New York, by stating, “I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine but fear not, we’re back!”
Fans also speculated about Style and Wilde’s physical distance during the festival and lack of interaction. Drama further escalated when eager fans noted Pugh’s absence at the press conference, but she still walked the red carpet in a stunning dress.
Despite the hostility created by the aforementioned rumors, Styles fans and interested movie-goers filled theaters opening night to watch the over two-hour feature. The controversial cast managed to compile $19.2 million at the box office opening weekend, giving the possibility for the movie itself to earn back its budget of $38.8 million.
The beginning of the film embraces the setting well, encompassing the cheerfulness the couples in Victory celebrated each night. However, as the film progresses, we get to see the doubt and subsequently, the escalation of events in Alice’s life, which in our opinions was well-developed.
Toward the middle of the movie, this conflict seems to drag on in a manner that fails to hold the audience’s attention. As Victory’s solicited mission starts to crumble for Alice, the audience’s interest peaks. No longer reclining in seats (nearly falling asleep) the ending of the film redeems itself, and movie-goers will be perched in excitement.
Aside from drama and movie length, the mediocre film makes us wonder: Maybe we should be a little worried, darling.