Don't Worry Darling (2022)

[Eric Loves Rey]

Discuss

[Webslinger]

Before my actual Letterboxd review - where I did not address spoilers - let me just say this: Why, oh, why did anyone involved with this project ever believe that viewers wouldn't see the "shocking" twist coming from miles away? I swear, it's like watching a really stupid version of The Truman Show that twists itself into knots trying (and failing) to convince you that Truman is most definitely not in a TV show and then expecting you to be just as shocked as him when he realizes it. I think I only made it, like, 30 seconds into the trailer before piecing together that everything was pointing toward it being set in the present day, and I remember thinking that it seemed so glaringly obvious that it had to be a misdirect. But nope, that's really it.

 

Really, the biggest missed opportunity here is that Wilde doesn't at least try to direct it like a period piece. Why not have some fun by filming all the Victory material in the style of a '50s drama (or hell, even Mad Men)? It wouldn't fix the problems with the script, but at least it would be fun, potentially distract the audience at least a little bit (it's kinda hard not to see the twist coming when it very much feels like contemporary people cosplaying in period garb), and highlight the extreme difference in style when the film finally does reveal its hand.

 

Anyway, on with the actual review:

 

Whether viewers are coming out of genuine interest in the story and filmmakers or out of morbid curiosity surrounding the film’s juicy behind the scenes drama, Don’t Worry Darling registers as a letdown. Its script is too sloppy to present its themes in a sufficiently compelling manner, but the film as a whole is also too competently made to work as an unintentionally entertaining trainwreck. The biggest problem, hands down, is that both the script and director Olivia Wilde seem to labor under the belief that they are stringing the audience along in suspense and anticipation of a shocking twist, but it’s done with such a heavy, obvious hand that many viewers will be at least a step ahead throughout most – if not all – of the running time. In fact, the “twist” is so obvious that one wonders why the filmmakers even bother with trying to keep it a secret for so long. Unfortunately, the film also fails to capitalize on many opportunities for social commentary, instead opting for style over substance with numerous sequences that are well-crafted on a visual and auditory level but feel like they have precious little to say on an intellectual one. There’s a good version of this movie that a script doctor could finesse, but what’s on the screen feels like a student handing in an undercooked first draft of a project with a sense of deeply misplaced confidence in its quality. If there’s a clear saving grace, it’s Florence Pugh in a far more invested performance than this script deserves. Pugh brings a sense of believability and vulnerability that feels like it was probably absent on the page, and she adds enough interesting touches to her character to paper over the fact that the script does not bother to give her much of a personality. Good as Pugh is, though, she shares little to no chemistry with Harry Styles at any point in the narrative, and Styles is serviceable at best and straining at worst in a glaringly obvious attempt to channel the style of Jude Law circa the late ‘90s/early ‘00s. Chris Pine has a few scenes as the charismatic community leader that feel somewhat compelling, but he’s ultimately underused. The most glaring bit of the alleged behind the scenes drama bleeding into the narrative is the presence of director Wilde in front of the camera in a supporting role, where she is supposed to be playing Pugh’s best friend, yet she does relatively little, disappears for long stretches of time, and is never once believable as Pugh’s friend. Admittedly, the drama surrounding the film and the poor reception out of its ill-advised festival run tempered my expectations heading in, but it’s still a real bummer to see that after making a film as fresh, dynamic, and memorable as Booksmart, Olivia Wilde’s directorial follow-up is such a messy misfire salvaged by some stylish decisions and Florence Pugh’s performance.

 

C

[filmlover]

An ambitious misfire that's nowhere nearly as interesting as the inevitable tell-all detailing the movie's turbulent production will be. It's almost ironic that for as much as Olivia Wilde has been talking how proud she was to make the movie she wanted to, there's a definite "cut up in the editing room" vibe to the whole thing in which solid chunks of the movie seem to be missing. Take, for instance, the third act revelation about Wilde's kids. It comes literally out of nowhere and arrives right as the movie is wrapping up, leading one to wonder why it was even included to begin with. And then when Gemma Chan suddenly stabbed Chris Pine after standing beside him in support throughout the whole movie I was like "uh, what?" All of these moments could've been interesting had there been any buildup to them but nope, it just rushes straight through every plot development to get to its destination.

 

Even ignoring those plot holes, this just doesn't work simply because so much of it is been there, done that with nothing to stand out in the crowd. Sure, Victory is technically impressive, but the Stepford Wives-esque setting on its own is foreshadowing that there will be a big twist that all is not what it seems, and the reveal itself can be seen coming from miles away and isn't particularly inventive, combined with halfhearted attempts at social commentary about toxic masculinity. Does it surprise anyone that there are men out there jealous that their wives are more successful than they are and that those insecurities can end up manifesting into something ugly and misogynistic within? I doubt it, and this just ends up stating the obvious without providing any meaningful insight of its themes.

 

The cast is fine with what they're given, I suppose. This isn't one of Florence Pugh's finest performances, but she sells it better than the material probably deserves. I dug the D-bag energy Pine brings to his part, but he's ultimately not in the movie much (at least he gets more to do than poor, tragically underused Kiki Layne). Wilde herself is good despite her character being so underwritten. And then there's Harry Styles. To be fair, he doesn't embarrass himself or anything (and he makes for a more convincing - or least at doesn't stand out as much as an obvious miscast - "50s husband" than original lead actor Shia LaBeouf would have), but he's clearly not up to the challenge in his big dramatic moments and only seems to truly come alive during a little dance bit (perhaps because he's more at home with that kind of material). He shouldn't quit his day job just yet.

 

As much as I want to applaud Wilde for expanding her horizon and moving into Jordan Peele territory after making a terrific little debut with Booksmart, this ends up being a major disappointment. If she does direct another feature, hopefully she'll return with a better (and drama-free) production.

 

C

[DAJK]

@Webslinger and @filmlover said it better than I ever could, and I echo their sentiments almost entirely. The performances were fine, and I did like a few of the stylish choices. Also the score and sound design was honestly fantastic. 

 

But the twist was obvious from a mile away. The first half of the movie was honestly a slog, and when it started to get interesting, it was more in a campy sort of way rather than being genuinely intriguing. Felt very much like a decent little 45 minute Black Mirror episode that was inexplicably stretched into 2+ hours.

[filmlover]

Wilde helping Pugh escape Victory made literally zero sense because her whole reason for willingly living inside the simulation was so that she could be with her children who died in the real world. Wouldn't Alice revealing to the world what a sham the Victory Project is and having it shut down put an end to that? It's almost as if they couldn't figure out how to write a proper conclusion and decided to end the movie right as it was actually beginning to get interesting.

[Jonwo]

I enjoyed it but I agree there was so many plot holes and a lot of things didn't make sense like why Alice didn't dump Jack who was clearly a loser or how no one noticed like a young surgeon was missing for a long period, why people dying in Victory die in the real world or how Jack was able to pay to keep him and Alice in Victory.

 

I do agree that they couldn't work out how it could end so it just did. 

 

 

[Reddroast]

I've never seen a film implode like this since the happening. Pugh and Pine try to carry the film but they are defeated by Olvia Wilde, bizarre visuals, a poorly thought out twist (Jordan Peterson's Metaverse cult compound) and Harry Styles playing a 4chan surfing incel. 

 

This is on the so bad it's good list folks. Watch it. It had me laughing

[Grebacio]

I just watched it and while it does have its problems, it's not even close of being a disaster IMO, and I have seen at least 3 worse movies this year.
First of all, the movie sounds and looks wonderful from begining to end (One could say this felt like a real movie).
I didn't feel that the first act was a slog, altough I would say that the second act overstayed its welcome, like at a point I was already exhausted of so many visions without any context and felt like the movie wasn't moving at all, but when the third act started I was hooked again.
Pugh is great as always, and Harry's acting is not good, but also not "so bad that its laughable"
There are some things that either are not explained or does not make sense, like Bunny helping Alice at the end, or dying in Victoria causing death in real life.

Solid 6/10, had a good time at the theare and I'm glad I watched it.
 

[ChipDerby]

I liked this actually! It was a bit long, as most movies are, but it was compelling and interesting. And Florence Pugh gives her typical great performance, ditto Pine who needed way more screentime.