Spoiler Free Review: Don't Worry Darling

 

    Olivia Wilde's sophomore movie is a house built on an obviously cracked foundation. Don't Worry Darling has been mired with controversy leading up to its release and after viewing the movie I can see why. At the beginning I was unsure why the movie was getting so much hate, but as it progressed and the third act began, everything comes to a screeching halt. I certainly can appreciate what Wilde was trying to do with this movie but ultimately it suffers from a multitude of things (both on and off-screen). For starters the off-screen drama is honestly more interesting than the movie, with recasting leading to sloppy rewrites it's sad to hear about what could have been. The script originally was featured on the 2019 Black List of best scripts that were passed over. When Wilde took it over she brought on Booksmart writer Katie Silberman who did bring in one of the better parts of the movie; Frank (Chris Pine). 

    Pine's performance is menacing in all the right ways, his performance is the best thing to come out of the Silberman re-write. However the acting of Harry Styles (Jack) brings down the rest. There are some parts where he shines but ultimately he is in scenes where he is heavily outclassed. He's not the worst, however he doesn't even come close to stealing a scene, like the rest of the leading cast does. Truthfully his presence feels more like a ploy to get girls and fans to watch him do sexy thing rather than use of a good actor. The movie is overly sexual in cases where it definitely doesn't need to be. Ultimately the biggest issue I have with the movie is that it refuses to follow the logic created by itself. The twist should be the "aha" moment of a movie like this but instead it's unsatisfying and feels stupid. For whatever reason the movie refuses to abide by the rules set by itself, and often has the viewer crafting better rules than the ones it follows.

    However it's not all bad. There are plenty of redeeming qualities that keep the movie within the "watchable" category. For starters the whole vibe of this 50s society is super fun and well done. The movie boasts a strong soundtrack that I will most definitely be listening to on repeat. Most of this praise should go straight to the art department and Director of Photography Matthew Libatique who both composes really comfortable and fun shots, but also disturbing and unsettling ones all the same. But aesthetics can only go so far and the rest of the movie is propelled forward by it's shining star Florence Pugh. Once again she takes a movie and singlehandedly raises its bar. Her performance will undoubtedly put her in conversation for an Oscar nomination, as she carries the movie to another level. Aside from the flaws the movie has, Pugh is the best decision that is made. She continues to improve her resumé and prove that she is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. 

    Ultimately Don't Worry Darling is a frustrating and uninspired movie. A true shame as this was one of my most anticipated movies of the year and I was honestly dissatisfied and disappointed when I left the theater. It's a movie I probably wouldn't choose to watch again but I may keep it on if it's already on somewhere in the house. It's one that as I take more time away from it, I get more and more angry and upset at what I watched, and it really is a shame. Florence Pugh continues her hot streak and is backed up by a fantastic DOP but other than them the movie falls flat on the big promises made. (D+)