The drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling has created a cloud of disenchantment and avoidance, and I’m here to tell you – the more I think about this movie, the more I love it.
I’ve always been a sucker for mid-century era films, especially contemporary representations of that time period. In a dreamy sci-fi atmosphere, this movie borrows elements from the classics while compacting them and brining forward new concepts and visual ideas. The film doesn’t necessarily break new ground in the genre, but what it excels at is executed with grandeur and charm.
Florence Pugh carries Don’t Worry Darling from start to finish, and the discipline with which she artfully crafts her performance sends the point home better than anything else in the story. I am constantly amazed by how much attention Florence commands from me with little effort, and this coupled with the perfect stylization of the film bring this story to a larger than life scale. This in itself is just one of the reasons that I sat there in the theater and experienced this movie in the moment with complete and utter joy.
Harry Styles’ mediocre performance isn’t that bad, and while I believe that the plot could have been fleshed out better if we had had a truly seasoned actor to bring a more sinister quality to Jack, I’m giving him a hall pass. He doesn’t necessarily ruin the vibe, but he ultimately just doesn’t bring the same heat as Florence.
Director/actor Olivia Wilde shines as Bunny, and any pre-conceived ideas about her due to tabloid fodder melted away as I remembered just how much I truly enjoy her performances as an actor.
Don’t Worry Darling is no small feat for Olivia’s sophomore effort- it is gigantic, beautiful, and impressive even for its shortcomings. Looking past the common hang ups with this film, and going in with an open mind, I think people will find that incredibly sacred big screen magic we’re always looking for when we buy the popcorn and settle into the dark cozy blanket of what going to the movies is all about.
On the Screen Reviews 
I’m going to wait for it when it arrives on streaming soon. I’m not in a rush to see this though I’m more interested in Booksmart. I don’t have much of an opinion on Harry Styles as I don’t know much about his music while I’ve only seen him in Dunkirk and Eternals. I don’t think he’s ready to become a film star. Still, I’d rather see him than… blech… ugh… Shia LaBeouf.
I’m waiting for this one to come to streaming too. After reading Julia’s review, I’m more interested in seeing it now!
I almost went to this last night but stayed home at the last minute. It went from one of my most anticipated to “eh, I’ll stream it” but this review does give me more hope.
Same. Lots of initial hype for me, then I just stopped caring.