Don’t Worry Darling has been called the most talked about film of the year and I reckon that’s probably right. If you’ve missed all that palaver you can catch up here. (I believe he DID spit but what the hell would I know?) The buzz hasn’t really been about whether the film is any good though so your ol’ pal is back to cut to the chase!
Long-time readers will know I’m not a big fan of saying heaps about the plot of the film but the short version is that DWD tells the story of 1950s husband and wife Jack (Harry Styles) and Alice (Florence Pugh), who live in a utopian experimental community named Victory. It’s important to note that it’s badged as a psychological thriller; a fact about this film I suspect is not widely known. This is a spoiler-free zone but I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that all is not as it seems and it’s Alice who spots it and unravels accordingly. The plot twists are real ‘WTF’ stuff and not in a good way but more on that below.
This film starts out ok. Better than I expected, to be honest! The first half or so is three star territory for me. But then Don’t Worry Darling takes an utterly baffling turn (or three), from which it never recovers, landing it comfortably in one star territory. So I guess that’s a sum total of a two star film. (Who said word bloggers aren’t good at maths - I just worked out an average!)
Director Olivia Wilde (who is also a supporting star in the film) has talked a lot about the feminist agenda of the film. I wondered if it had the feminist chops she was claiming but sadly I just don’t reckon it does. Yes, the film focuses on Alice’s sexual pleasure over Jack’s but if you want me to celebrate you as a feminist hero I’m gonna need more than that. You can read more about this in The Guardian’s article ‘The empty feminism of Don’t Worry Darling’ if you’re interested.
Ordinarily two stars wouldn’t have me encouraging you to see this film but in a funny way, I do think you should see it if you’ve been following the dramas at all. There’s a certain satisfaction in watching the film to ‘close the loop’, if you will. It’s pretty bonkers and there can be joy in that!
Don’t Worry Darling is rated M, runs 122 minutes and opens 6 October. Trailer here.