Now that ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ has been out for over a week, a movie review is definitely overdue.
Before the film premiered on the big screen, there was a lot of drama circulating around the movie. While one could argue this was an excellent PR move (speculation only), regardless, the film was released on September 23 for anyone and everyone. With a bag of popcorn in one hand, and my cinema ticket in the other, I sat down ready to watch the story unfold in front of my very eyes.
General review
While I will be the first to say that one of the primary reasons I went to watch the movie was to support my favourite singer, Harry Styles, I will still critique the movie in an as unbiased way as possible.
I’ll be discussing the two main leads, Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, on their performance, the film’s visuals and cinematography, the overall story, and my final rating.
The storyline
The story follows Alice and Jack (Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, respectively) living in an idealistic 1950s community. Alice is the stay-at-home wife and Jack works at the ‘Victory Project,’ Frank’s (played by Chris Pine) mysterious company that remains anonymous to its clear motivations.
As the story progresses, we meet Margaret, a key character in breaking down the walls of the organisation which begins to reveal that their world is not all that it seems. The story begins to unravel when Alice figures out she is trapped in a doctored simulation, her life a complete fabrication.
While there were cracks in the simulation, like Alice breaking the eggs and finding them empty (get it, like the cracked eggs), the reveal took me by surprise.
What was the most shocking was when (spoiler incoming) Shelley, played by Gemma Chan, stabs her husband Frank before he seeks out Alice before she escapes the simulation. It’s an empowering move for the women to take back control and face the underlying misogyny inflicted upon them.
The actors
Florence Pugh
From Florence’s previous performances in Little Women and Midsommar, she does not shy away from emotional characters who pull on her heartstrings and always end up rooting for; Florence’s Alice is no different. The slight shift from domestic bliss to dystopian anarchy makes you root for her to escape.
The best performance was Alice’s recognition of the melody at the climax of the film. It was revealed that Jack sang the melody to Alice when she was in the simulation, a fundamental hint that her surroundings were fabricated. The subtle remembrance shifting to a state of panic adds the cherry on top of the cake. It’s as if all of the intrusive thoughts she had have sprung to life, her worst nightmare a reality.
An excellent scene, which I wished we had more of in the film, was further scenes with Chris Pine’s Frank and Alice. There was something so special between two opposing forces battling between each other. The tension, like a deer in headlights, made me glued to my seat as you were wondering who would prevail. While you were always rooting for Alice, there was always the lingering worry of if rather than when she would escape.
Harry Styles
While other critics have been very harsh on Harry’s acting performance, I would beg to differ that he did a good performance based on what little acting experience he has. His continued gaslighting, especially surrounding Margaret’s death, was so impactful that we as the audience were also led to believe that everything was fine, and life will continue as before. If Harry could do that to the audience, in my eyes, his performance was not as bad as portrayed.
Overall, Harry’s Jack represented a character full of love but shown in the wrong way. He cared for Alice, but not in the way that included her say. Someone add Jack to the anti-hero character list.
Visuals and cinematography
While Olivia Wilde (the film’s director) directing portfolio is short with this being her second movie, this project was a unique turn as this was her first time directing a thriller/horror motion picture. While I enjoyed the storyline, the visuals undeniably were the star of the show.
The visuals and cinematography from start to finish were impeccable, specifically when it transports back to the bleak reality of Alice and Jack’s life. It juxtaposed the too-good-to-be-true simulation.
The 1950s setting was visually beautiful, adding to the idyllic lifestyles of the characters within the Victory Project. However, this added to the layer of costuming; the whole world they were living in a display case to avoid their real-world problems.
The makeup and special effects team perfected the drastic jump from the picturesque 1950s falsified world. And while there were no jumpscares within the film, I was surprised as anyone to see Jack’s long and matted hair, a complete antithesis to Jack’s ‘Victory Project’ appearance.
Storyline critical analysis: The illusion of choice
While there are a lot of elements that could be chosen to analyse within the film (the film gurus will have a lot to chew upon with this one), I believe the illusion of choice is very interesting.
While some viewers would argue that Jack is not a victim (and I would agree), I would give him the benefit of the doubt. Ultimately, Alice and Jack were doomed from the moment Jack lost his job. His decisions were ambiguous at best as all he wanted to do was protect and care for his family as I would argue he lost hope in the real world. Why not gain it back somewhere else?
Either they stayed in the real world with their emotional and financial difficulties or remain stuck in a fabricated simulation which isn’t real. The illusion of choice is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t tragedy. That’s why I don’t hate Jack’s actions; understandable but not justifiable.
However, what I will say is that Alice does make a choice to leave Jack behind in the Victory Project for good, so there Alice does gain back the control she lost for such a long time.
The good
Overall, I’d say it is worth a rewatch, increasing its ranking, to see if there are some key moments that point to the truth. It also opens up a lot of discussion points regarding Jack’s flaws and his objectives which make the characters themselves interesting to watch on screen.
You may also be asking yourselves how is everyone gaslighting Alice, and ergo the audience, a positive element of the film? The film’s strong ability to twist Alice’s beliefs, such as watching Margaret slit her throat, and make her believe she was seeing things, making the audience question what Alice really saw.
Finally, it’s visually stunning to watch; The immediate shift from the pessimistic and claustrophobic apartment in Jack and Alice’s lives makes you want to join them into the simulated paradise.
The bad
While the film had various enjoyable elements, the film’s criticisms shape around the character Margaret’s lack of screen time. Her character was pivotal in highlighting the cracks in the system for Alice to find out the truth. Without her, Alice might not have questioned her reality as strong as she did.
Conclusive rating
Conclusively, I would rank the movie 4/5 for its compelling story and artistic visuals with hidden nuances which will make you revisit the movie to see what elements foreshadowed the simulation reveal.
Lead image: Warner Bros. Pictures on YouTube