DON’T WORRY DARLING – “1 part Hitchcock, 1 part Stepford Wives, 2 parts nonsense”

dontworrydarling

RATING

DIRECTOR

Directed by: Olivia Wilde (Booksmart - 2019)

SYNOPSIS

Alice and Jack Chambers are a young, happy couple in the 1950s, living in the seemingly perfect company town of Victory, California, which has been created and paid for by the mysterious company for which Jack works. Curiosity about the nature of her husband's work on the secret "Victory Project" begins to consume Alice. Cracks then begin to form in their utopian life as her investigation into the project raises tensions within the community.

REVIEW SUMMARY

1 part Hitchcock, 1 part Stepford Wives, 2 parts nonsense, Don’t Worry Darling is quite the wild outing. In one of the most buzzed about movies in recent memory, director Olivia Wilde’s sophomore effort lands a little flat. Now, that’s not to say the movie is a waste (because it most certainly is not). For one, it’s an entertaining spectacle that is always interesting to look at. Credit certainly needs to be given for the lush dream-like quality that is captured oh so well on screen by our filmmaker. The pitch perfect (not to mention nervy) soundtrack is also top notch, maybe even one of the year’s best. The performances range from great (Harry Styles) to pretty darn amazing (Florence Pugh). The themes are off the chart, tackling everything the likes of feminism, patriarchy, control, reality, and everything in-between. But, all those “commentaries” are where the problems start. There’s a real lack of subtlety here – absolutely no nuance, and even less restraint when it comes to the twist finale. I won’t go so far to call this an “empty movie,” but there it is not as clever as it pretends to be. As for the make-or-break finish, I’ve heard some call it “illogical.” I’m not one of the, because honestly, it’s a little timely and not that far-fetched if you think about it. No, it’s just rather uninspired. No spoilers of course, but this concept is something you’ve definitely seen many times before… recently even. Was it done better? Yeah. Was it as wild of a ride? Not a chance. Now if only we can get a film based on the “behind the scenes” drama next…

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