Movie Review: Don't Worry Darling

People still love a good old-fashioned Hollywood scandal and gossip hounds have had been handed the golden goose of salacious rumors with the Don't Worry Darling press tour. Stories including a blossoming romantic relationship between an actor and the director disrupting the filming process, a feud between the film's lead and the director that culminated in an on-set screaming match and allegations of one actor spitting on another at the film's Venice Film Festival premiere have provided interested parties with a buffet of soapy media narratives that will keep them well-fed until at least Thanksgiving. Of course, all of this extracurricular, speculation-driven activity has drowned out much of the discussion about the actual film-which is odd since the film marks ascending star Florence Pugh's first leading role since her 2019 breakout Midsommar, Olivia Wilde's first directorial effort since her acclaimed 2019 directorial debut Booksmart and the first significant acting role pop superstar Harry Styles has ever had. As unfair and unfortunate as it is that Don't Worry Darling has drawn so much attention for things that have nothing to do with the on-screen product, the tabloid fodder proved to be more memorable than the film itself.

Based on the reports that have come out about the film's production-which definitely aren't completely false given Pugh's refusal to do press for the movie and the chilly interactions Wilde has had with the bulk of the cast during the film's public screenings, the blame for Don't Worry Darling miscues are going to fall on Wilde and Styles. And to be fair, they certainly deserve their share of the blame. Wilde makes the critical mistake of making a psychological thriller that doesn't really try to mount any tension or attempt to delve into the main character's psyche outside of pulling out the basic "people surrounding them actively deny their concerns/make them belief they're the crazy one's" playbook and Styles is a pretty aloof screen presence that especially struggles with selling the romantic angle of the relationship between him and Pugh's character. While their efforts were questionable, neither of them has ownership of the biggest piece of the blame pie.  

That person would be screenwriter Katie Silberman. The career comedy scribe behind Booksmart, Set It Up and Isn't It Romantic really struggles with her first script that falls outside of the genre that she's had a good degree of success with over the past handful of years. Crafting a narrative that attempts to balance mystery/thriller with social commentary on patriarchal society, gender roles, etc. (there's another major theme I can't name here since it would allude to a major spoiler) is the right idea, but the execution is listless to the point where it doesn't provide much in the way of intrigue or insight. These script woes manage to further intensify when the big twist/reveal occurs at the start of the final act. Not only does this revelation inject this very serious film with an unintended layer of ridiculousness but it unleashes a whole new string of questions about the mechanics of the entire narrative that leads to a finale that delivers more moments of head-scratching confusion than the powerful emotional catharsis it appears to be aiming for. Much has been made about the quality of Wilde's direction here, but it would've taken a string of miracles for any director to make a great film out of a script that is this thin and silly.

Despite its best efforts to be overwhelmingly monotonous, several people involved with Don't Worry Darling weren't going to allow that to happen on their watch. For starters, the film looks absolutely immaculate as the production/costume design radiate the idyllic vibrancy of the 1950's and cinematographer Matthew Libatique steals the show with a slew of creative shots that provide this largely predictable affair with some much-needed moments of unexpected wonder. 

There also happens to be some strong acting from the bulk of the cast outside of Styles. Pugh is her typical commanding self as the woman who realizes there might be something sinister going on in the picture-esque desert community she resides in, Chris Pine is effectively charismatic and creepy yet oddly underutilized as the community's mysterious leader and Wilde herself is a hoot as the gossip-slinging, heavy-drinking housewife that lives next door to Pugh and Styles' characters. Being the standout parts of a misguided, mediocre project isn't glamorous or exciting, but it is a surefire way to ensure that your efforts are remembered-which is more than can be said about the bulk of this movie.   

Don't Worry Darling is a massively disappointing sophomore directorial effort from Wilde and one of the most frustrating movies I've watched all year. Talented people teaming up to make an original story shouldn't feel just as soullessly derivative or narratively lost as the most disposable IP exercises, but that's exactly what happened here and it's a shitty sight to behold. Wilde has already proven she has the chops to direct, so hopefully this is just a sophomore slump and not an early sign that Booksmart will be the lone excellent film she puts into the world.

Grade: C+