Directed By Olivia Wilde

Starring – Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine

The Plot – A 1950s housewife (Pugh) living with her husband (Harry Styles) in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.

Rated R for sexuality, violent content and adult language

(1) Don’t Worry Darling | Official Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

“Don’t Worry Darling” certainly feels like a passion project of sorts for Wilde, in that she articulates the best in every avenue of production to seamlessly marry scope and scale for a vividly permeating presentation that spares no cent. The production designs here involving interior decorations, classic convertibles, and vintage wardrobes, convey warmth and imagination to the essence of the 1950’s, in ways that not only feed into the atmospheric ambiance that this utopia caters itself towards, but also play into the thematic impulses of the screenplay that constantly dissect the highs and lows of materialism, and how those aspects are foolishly presented as the means to a perfect lifestyle. In addition, the soundtrack selections and ensuing musical score from John Powell instills an unnerving tenderness and overhead vulnerability for its characters that cautiously conveys something sinister beneath the visual perfection we’re seduced by, and when married with Matthew Libatique’s transfixing cinematography, conveys a three-dimensional appeal in style that I truly wasn’t expecting. For those unaware, Libatique is Darren Arronofsky’s right hand man, an aspect that itself conjures familiarity and fantasy in the many transition sequences, but the kind that consistently capture your attention without ever letting go, a philosophy that this film has no problem further carrying out. To further articulate this sentiment, the performances from this heavyweight cast of heavy hitters are immaculate, but in particular the work of Pugh and Pine were the very best. The latter is sporadically used throughout, but when he does appear transfixes with a rare villainous turn that feels menacing despite subdued, with reserved volume levels emphasizing a stern-but-satiable approach to the way he communicates and captivates the characters and audience alike. Pugh is equally riveting, but for entirely different reasons, toeing a line of frailty beneath this picture-perfect existence that not only articulates the isolation of her predicament, but also affords her plenty of time to define psychological meaning into the cryptic visuals we’re often being presented with in Libatique’s aforementioned extreme visuals. Finally, the script itself is unfortunately littered with problems that I will sift through in a second, but one benefit I can add to the argument is that I was never bored by the storytelling, despite the film nearly reaching the two-hour run time that often tests my patience without a truly gripping narrative. To be fair, the film has that aspect, but in ways that are often repetitive, yet the compelling aspect of just what the hell is going on here is too irresistible, earning my investment the longer the film persisted and crazier it channeled.

NEGATIVES

For the first two-thirds of the film, I was prominently on-board with the direction and corresponding build for the mystery of the story. However, the third act is one of the most truly frustrating that I have experienced this year, with more disappointment growing within me the longer I think about it even now. With around a half hour remaining in the film, Wilde imbeds an unnecessary twist that re-establishes the stakes and circumstances of the conflict, but beyond that convolute the execution in ways that somehow attempts to explain as much as possible, but in reality, explaining very little. It’s the kind of direction that leaves me with more questions the further the exposition heavy-handedly materializes, and when combined with a cheaply ineffective resolution that abruptly fades to black without a shred of pay-off, measures an inevitably disappointed audience physically frozen by the audacity of this flat execution. Beyond the third act, the themes of the film itself pertaining to patriarchal societies, conservatism, and gender roles are realized at surface level, but never submerged in ways that transpire originality to the dissection. This leads much of “Don’t Worry Darling’s” plot to feel derivative from better films of the genre, like “The Stepford Wives”, sacrificing the benefits of a valuably aforementioned production that it never uses to eclipse them, and instead feels satisfied in standing shoulder to shoulder with them. This also could possibly bring an alienating experience to male members of the audience, and for once I can say that I kind of see their point. Wilde’s decision to make every male character despicable is one thing, but to pursue each of them in ways that never alleviate or abbreviate on the one-dimensional personalities of their construct is a complete other, and while I’m always in the mood for an inspiring feminist narrative, Wilde’s clumsy perspective here feels a bit too condensed and even naive, leading to the rare instance with 2018’s “Black Christmas” where I can comfortably confirm something as an “Agenda film”, even against my better judgment that hates using such a title.

OVERALL
While “Don’t Worry Darling” isn’t quite as bad as the press surrounding it, Wilde’s latest is a confusing and convoluted prophet of the all-style/ no-substance category of underwhelming returns. It’s a dumbfounding mess of a script that wastes away an immaculate production design, introspective cinematography, and a duo of commanding performances, in turn leaving its triple-worded title as a note of advice to save your money during tough economical times.

My Grade: 5/10 or D+