Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in 'Don't Worry Darling'
Cover Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in 'Don't Worry Darling'

It's the 1950s and everyone's living the "American Dream". In Olivia Wilde's 2022 thriller 'Don't Worry Darling,' we step into the colourful and seemingly flawless suburban community of Jack and Alice Chambers

The Tatler team was invited to the Philippine premiere night of Olivia Wilde's 2022 thriller Don't Worry Darling. Read on to know what they think: 

In case you missed it: Tatler Review: 'Harry's House'

Alex Alcasid, Assistant Digital Editor

Tatler Asia
Alex Alcasid is Tatler Philippines' Assistant Digital Editor. Find more of her works at www.alexalcasid.com
Above Alex Alcasid is Tatler Philippines' Assistant Digital Editor. Find more of her works at www.alexalcasid.com

Don't Worry Darling opened in September with mixed reviews. Though several plot holes do admittedly exist in the story and it becomes difficult to follow at times, the film, at its core, serves to be a compelling psychological thriller that leaves the audience stunned and in wonder by the time the credits roll. With the film set against the idyllic backdrop of 1950s America, the audience is transported to Victory, a strangely closed-off city where women are loyal housewives, the men disappear every day to work at a mysterious and ill-defined job, and the only rule is for the women to never leave. Florence Pugh plays Alice Chambers, while popstar Harry Styles plays her husband Jack. 

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Without giving too much away, Don't Worry Darling is a rollercoaster. Florence Pugh's acting is honest, real, and all-around superb. Her chemistry with Harry Styles is surprisingly good, though Styles' Jack stands out as a character in the city of Victory being that he is the only one with a British accent.

The world itself is wonderfully defined, with Victory containing everything and anything that a 1950s-era housewife would want, though all through watching the film one cannot help but get the feeling that something is terribly wrong with this perfect world. The mystery of the world and the intentions of Jack and Chris Pine's Frank unfold slowly, as the audience sees the pieces fall into place along with Alice.

More from Tatler: Tatler Review: Why People Hated The Ending Of "Promising Young Woman" (2020)

Jove Moya, Features Writer

Tatler Asia
Jove Moya is a Features Writer from Tatler Philippines. Find her on Instagram @Jovemoya
Above Jove Moya is a Features Writer from Tatler Philippines. Find her on Instagram @Jovemoya

Did this movie make me cry? No. Did its (supposedly) dumbfounding twist leave my mouth wide open? No. I have noticed some off-putting scenes from the get-go, but the movie is, by no means, bad. It is really an entertaining science fiction show especially if you're the type who wants to go full-on detective mode and figure out all the freaky little things happening around an otherworldy suburb from the 1950s.

See also: Tatler Review: Lino Brocka's 'Insiang'

Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, who is best known for her roles in Midsommar, Little Women, and Black Widow, has undeniably grabbed the oars and ferried the whole cast to the shore with her; but it would be unfair to say that Harry Styles did not play his part well (P.S.: see his car scene with Pugh).

If I may be crass, Don't Worry Darling could have been an excellent show if it were part of an even bigger series like Black Mirror; I honestly feel that it was not yet time to hit the big screens and I say this because the pace is a bit slow and dragging for an ending that is predictable and slightly uncompelling.

Ultimately, my rating is three and a half stars over five, the way I can translate that into words is this: "it's not so good, but not so bad either!"

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With words from Alex Alcasid