Film Review: Don’t Worry Darling

The highly anticipated multi-starrer psychological thriller, Warner Brothers Studios-produced Don’t Worry Darling, has finally made its way to streaming services and officially hit #1 on HBO in the week of release. Hitting the cinemas in September this year, the film has been surrounded by a cloud of controversy rather than focusing on the story, maybe as a marketing tactic to gain traction in the media. Perhaps it was a way to keep people guessing the plot, it is a thriller after all! Either way, it worked incredibly well, as the movie performed beyond expectation.

We’ve all read the synopsis of this movie by now, as it was everywhere. As someone who watched in theatres, I think we all ate our words when we giggled at Harry Styles saying “it feels like a movie” at Venice Film Festival, where the film made its debut. It received a 7-minute applause at the screening, preceding which the cast and crew held a press conference and walked the red carpet, Styles was surrounded by a myriad of well-known actors who were most definitely more experienced in the field than him, and yet he held his own. An entirely separate piece can be written on the fashion of the night, as it was extremely spectacular.

Clearly, the promotion of the film stirred up a large amount of controversy with lead Florence Pugh expressing dissent at how director Olivia Wilde had promoted Don’t Worry Darling, and for good reason. Much had been said about the film’s sex scenes being centred on female pleasure, and yet there were fewer of those scenes than you can count on one hand. They were both artfully shot and acted, and conveyed the message, yet not instrumental to the storytelling. This left many confused.

The story itself delivers. The initial script, written by the Van Dyke brothers, was circulated through Hollywood for a while before Warner Brothers picked it up. Olivia Wilde placed the rewrite in Katie Silberman’s hands, where characters were added, and changes were initiated. The final product involved a second rewrite after shoots were completed, which led to some scenes being cut before release. This has left a few questions unanswered, story-wise, however, the final scenes still create the impact desired.

Florence Pugh stuns as Alice, the titular character. She has so much versatility to offer, bagging multiple top projects in recent years, and she shows us why. She is, beyond a doubt, the star of this show. Harry Styles gets a chance to show off his versatility after his 5-minute stint in Dunkirk, and the director portrays Bunny, Alice’s neighbour and best friend. Chris Pine commands the screen every time he is present, showcasing something that is reminiscent of superhero film baddies, pure villainy. Gemma Chan and Kiki Layne feel underutilised as they both deliver perfect performances for their limited screen times, yet questions remain about their character’s stories.

Don’t Worry Darling gets a lot right. The cinematography, music and background score, the sets, the atmosphere, it’s all there. It transports us into its world, takes us through many emotions, and never slows down, not even for a second. It’s continuously fast-paced with not a moment of boredom. It puts you on the edge of your seat and delivers on the psychological thriller genre that it promises.