Don't Worry Darling (Mini-Review)

Don't Worry Darling tells the story of Alice Chambers. Alice seems to be leading an ideal life in Victory, California with parties, shopping, and pleasing her husband. But her life is forever changed when she attempts to rush to a crashed plane. Afterwards she starts questioning what the Victory Project actually is. Alice finds herself at odds from all sides but she never hesitates at any chance to figure out the truth. Don't Worry Darling was released in 2020. It was directed by Olivia Wilde. It stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Olivia Wilde.

There is no post-credits. However, the first part of the credits have women dancing to a song. So after the first part of the credits, unless you don't like the dancing, you can leave without fear of missing anything.

I went into this movie with the expectation of a gripping mystery and a satisfying twist. It delivered on both accounts. The movie keeps you guessing until the end and rewards your time with a satisfying conclusion. My first guess of what was actually going on was wrong but my second wasn't. Though I did miss a few key details.

At the beginning of the movie I thought something was up with Jack Chambers, but I couldn't figure out what. I thought at first he had created Alice or kidnapped a stranger and made her think she was Alice. But boy is the answer so much worse than either of those option. Once the truth was revealed I didn't count on Alice getting out of Victory, but I waited breathlessly for Jack to die in some manner.

Florence Pugh is a talented actress and has impressed me in Don't Worry Darling as well as Midsommar (2019). But hasn't impressed me in her role of Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I think the reason is that in this movie she was clearly given a script while the MCU tends not to tell their actors much of what's going on. Such as no one was told that the scene at the end of Avengers Endgame (2019) was of Tony Stark's funeral. Pugh embraces all of the emotions that Alice feels and makes them appear genuine.

The aesthetic of this movie was amazing. Part of the joy of this film comes from the music, cars, clothing, and everything else. It's easy to see why people would not want to question Victory. Everyone is happy and there is never anything to worry about. It's not like today with the internet allowing people to harass each other for, usually, no reason. While it's sure to be a hell for some, for others it is paradise.

It's hard to write this review as I have a policy of no spoilers to minor spoilers in my Mini-Reviews. And the twist reshapes everything that came before. It makes you reevaluate what you watched which is the sign of a good twist. The twist also doesn't exist for the sole purpose of being a twist. It makes a statement about what was expected of women in the past and how that conflicts with their role in the present.

I would suggest Don't Worry Darling to those looking for a good mystery. I would also suggest Don't Worry Darling to those that like the aesthetics of the 1950s.