Don't Worry Darling

9/26/2022

So imagine the scenario. A boozy lunch with with some screenwriters who had just seen "Vivarium" (2019) and began to recall "Stepford Wives" (2004) and the "Truman Show" (1998). We know, say the assembled talent - let's write a pointless hybrid of these stories, making sure to avoid the best bits of any of them then get two gorgeous people to take part. We'll end up minted! Well they may well have ended up making loads of cash, but what they have provided for us is an heavily stylised story that goes nowhere fast. To be fair, Florence Pugh tries quite hard as "Alice", the increasingly disturbed wife of "Jack" (Harry Styles). They live in an Utopian desert community where the men all head to work for "Frank" (Chris Pine) in the morning and the women do the standard middle class housework, s

10/11/2022

I thought this was great. I only knew of the off-screen drama about <em>'Don’t Worry Darling'</em>, thankfully I hadn't read or seen anything at all about the plot - which, obviously, helped my enjoyment. As such, I was extremely interested in the first chunk of this. It builds up nicely, revealing details here and there. The ending isn't as strong but I still dig it, don't get me wrong. The cast are terrific, even if Florence Pugh completely wipes the floor with her co-stars... and I don't mean that negatively on them one bit, it's simply a case of Pugh giving an outstanding performance. This is only the third film of her's that I've seen... gotta watch more! Away from Pugh, I was impressed by Harry Styles. He can act. I will say, though, that Shia LaBeouf would've been greater i

10/14/2022

It is no surprise that _Don't Worry Darling_ has been marred with public controversies and poor critic reception, but is it really bad as the media would want you to believe? While I admit, there are plenty of issues in the story department, like completely abandoning certain plot details as they are introduced or leaving certain character plots half-baked to name a few, the other aspects of this film really make this an enjoyable viewing experience. Olivia Wilde's direction is actually really well done here. I could tell that certain shots and elements were done with the specific intent to create a romanticized version of the 1950's while still giving glimpses of something sinister hidden underneath. Although it is a shame that these elements didn't lead to much in terms of a reveal at

10/16/2022

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/opinion-pieces/what-do-both-dont-worry-darling-and-crimes-of-the-future-have-in-common "Personally, I believe that cinematic narratives with multiple plot points and questions related to the world itself are too often confused and envisioned as character studies driven by a single protagonist. Both Olivia Wilde and David Cronenberg complete their movies when the main character fulfills the minimum requirements of their arc, consequently renouncing all other equally significant issues worthy of in-depth exploration. In the case of Don't Worry Darling, one finishes it with an underwhelming feeling from an unsurprising conclusion, while in Crimes of the Future, viewers are left with several questions and interesting, half-developed p

10/28/2022

**Don't Worry Darling has a lot going for it, but its script keeps it from being more than a pretty coat of paint on a mediocre story told several times before.** Don't Worry Darling is a new take on The Stepford Wives. Same basic story with some fantastic cinematography, great costuming, beautiful visuals, and committed, top-notch performances from the cast. But all that is lost in a script that gets stuck on coming up with as many ways as possible to show its characters' slipping sanity rather than telling a complete story. The plot twists were pretty easy to guess, and the finale ended abruptly without providing any conclusion or resolution for the character. With all the bright spots this film had to offer, the sloppy story squandered all its high points leaving me let down and a li

1/20/2023

Pretty cool, I wasn't expecting the reveal of what's really going on towards the end. Wish it leaned into the horror / unsettling aspects a bit more.