I’ve never been a fan of drama. I know a lot of girls say that, but as someone who is both introverted and neurodivergent, I really try to avoid it. So, when the drama behind Don’t Worry Darling made the headlines, I was pretty sure I was just going to avoid the film all together. It felt like what was happening behind the scenes took over and eclipsed the film in a way I haven’t seen since Gigli, and wasn’t that a huge turd? However, I saw the trailer and thought the concept sounded interesting. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a good film that just got a bad rap because of the tension on set.
Don’t Worry Darling is a film about a couple that lives in a private community. They are married and enjoying life, the husband working on a project that requires them to live in this housing development. What the men do on this project is a secret, but they come home and have wives ready with dinner and martinis at the door. All the wives live the same lives and are friends, doing almost everything together and the same. But, one day Alice starts to wonder about things that are happening and the world they live in. And that’s when she seems to have more questions than she can answer.
The acting is decent, though I think Florence Pugh shines the most in this cast. Everyone else seems to hold their own, but you really get a sense of her character and what she is going through while watching her on screen. I wasn’t impressed by Harry Styles or Olivia Wild and thought everyone else was pretty stationary. The direction is nothing fantastic. It felt inconsistent and bland. There were a few moments when I thought there could have been a good director at hand, but it seemed more that the cast just knew what they were doing without that guidance. That’s nothing against Olivia Wilde, she is a good director, but Don’t Worry Darling is not her best work.
The cinematography was pretty boring. There were some good frames, but really it just fell flat. The aesthetic is something that’s good, clean and feels authentic. I thought it was well balanced and the color palette really worked well with the storyline. There were muted colors that felt like a pretty veneer that wasn’t allowed to reach its full potential, which works well with the film.
The storyline had a lot of potential, but it just never got there. When I saw the trailer, it seemed interesting and when I watched the film, I thought the same. The problem really is trying to fit ten pounds of shit in a five-pound bag. This film felt like something that should have taken its time and could have been measured and thought out. instead, it felt like it was rushed. So, you had a movie that felt like it wanted to take its time but was rushed out the door.
Overall, I thought it was an ok movie. There was a lot of negativity because of the drama, but I also think it could have been a lot better than it was. A story like this would have done with someone like Tia West or Ari Aster directing it and A24 would have had a great cult classic on their hand. Hopefully, it will inspire someone who actually knows what to do with a plot like this one in the future and other filmmakers will learn from its mistakes. Out of ten, I would give it a seven. I can’t rate it too low, because I didn’t think it sucked. However, it wasn’t that good of a film either good. Then, I feel like I can’t stress enough how good it could have been, but that isn’t enough reason to give it a great review or a higher rating. Is it worth seeing, sure, but go someplace that serves drinks, to make the pill a little easier to swallow and ease your regret after!
