Don't Worry Darling

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 in the role though. Elsewhere, Olivia Wilde (also dir.), Chris Pine and Gemma Chan do good things. Is it a perfect film? Not at all. Is it entertaining? Sure is. Each to their own, but I thoroughly enjoyed this 2022 release.

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 the end. The acting is a mixed bag here. Florence Pugh and Chris Pine absolutely carry this film. Pugh carries such complex emotions and is able to show her internal struggles while putting on a pretty face for appearance sakes. It is captivating and the audience can completely be resonant with her, this connection makes her character easy to root for. Chris Pine was really sinister in this role. I have not seen him as a villain in many shows and he does a fantastic job. For whatever reason, his mannerisms really reminded me of James Spader in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and that is a complement. Pine was not giving much screen time or character development, but he does the most with what he has. Olivia Wildes was fine, do not really have any complaints really, wasn't great but wasn't bad. Harry Styles' performance is hard to pinpoint. While I don’t think he did bad, but when he is constantly sharing the screen with Pughe, he is overshadowed a lot and his deficiencies show much more. Overall, I was disappointed with _Don't Worry Darling_ and the potential that was there to be such a special film. But it was still a good film that I had a fun time in. **Score:** _69%_ **Verdict:** _Good_

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 paths about such a mesmerizing futuristic world. Neither film explores its own world-building satisfactorily." Rating: B-

**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 little bored even with an exciting climax. With that said, I'm still trying to figure out what could have been done to make this story more compelling. The Stepford Wives concept has been done several times before and seems always to fail to find a way to end with a satisfying resolution.