The Long Plot, Sans Spoilers
Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) are living in a 1950s neighborhood called Victory. The company town is led by power couple Frank (Chris Pine) and Shelley (Gemma Chan), who throw lavish parties for all the residents. It’s a general throwback vibe of old-school sensibilities, with the men doing the work while the women stay at home. And so, every morning, Jack and his colleagues Dean (Nick Kroll) and Peter (Asif Ali) would go off to Victory Headquarters while Alice and the rest of the wives are left at home.
Alice spends her free time taking dance lessons, going shopping, and generally chilling with her best gal pals Bunny (Olivia Wilde) and Peg (Kate Berlant). They used to hang out with Margaret (Kiki Layne) but she hasn’t been acting like herself lately, so her husband Ted (Ari’el Satchel) has to take care of her with medication given by the mysterious Dr. Collins (Timothy Simons).
And when Alice’s husband gets home, they get down and dirty. So all is well, right?
However, one fateful day, Alice witnesses a plane crashing in the distance. She then hops off the transpo and heads over to investigate and suddenly has an unusual encounter which knocks her out.
After the incident, Alice starts having crazy visions similar to what Margaret was experiencing. Despite everything, Jack keeps reassuring Alice that everything is normal…or is it? (Dun-dun-dun!)
The Short, Honest Plot
It’s Midsommar with fabulous swing dresses and a rocking vintage soundtrack.
The Actors And Where You Last Saw Them
Florence Pugh as Alice Chambers
She is best known for giving us flower crown nightmares in Midsommar, and was also Yelena in Black Widow.
Harry Styles as Jack Chambers
The international superstar singer also made a surprise blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo appearance in The Eternals.
Olivia Wilde as Bunny (and the film’s director)
Millennials know her as Thirteen from House, and she previously directed the award-winning Booksmart.
Kiki Layne as Margaret Watkins
The actress kicked ass in The Old Guard and Coming 2 America.
Ari’el Satchel as Ted Watkins
A Tony Award-winning actor for his role in The Band’s Visit, he previously starred in Zola.
Gemma Chan as Shelley
She was the ever-quotable Astrid from Crazy Rich Asians and was also Sersi in The Eternals.
Chris Pine as Frank
He was Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman and Captain Kirk in the Star Trek reboot movie franchise.
Nick Kroll as Dean
He has voiced several characters from Sing and The Addams Family 2, and co-created his own animated series, Big Mouth.
Kate Berlant as Peg
She plays the neurotic Shirley Cohen in the A League of Their Own reboot series.
Asif Ali as Peter
The actor previously appeared on WandaVision and The Mandalorian.
Timothy Simons as Dr. Collins
He’s known for playing Jonah Ryan on the comedy series Veep.
Did You Know?
- Olivia Wilde’s daughter Daisy made a cameo appearance as her onscreen kid. (Awww!)
- Kiki Layne and Ari’el Satchel, who played married couple Margaret and Ted Watkins, defictionalized their romance. Yet another relationship that formed on the set of Don’t Worry Darling.
- The aforementioned onscreen and offscreen couple apparently had more scenes in DWD that were left out.
Layne confirms this in her IG caption that reads, “They cut us from most of the movie, but we thriving in real life. Love you Ari” followed by hashtags that are sending us into the stratosphere: #GotMyCheck #GotMyMan #EverythingHappensforaReason - Dakota Johnson was initially cast for the role of Margaret Watkins but had to drop out due to other commitments. (Imagine if she was around for all the behind-the-scenes drama.)
- According to Olivia, the intimate scenes shown in the film are focused on female pleasure. (Preaching to the choir, sis.)
What My Friend Thinks
“Grounded by an incredible performance by Florence Pugh, Don’t Worry Darling is a thriller which boasts impeccable sound production and design. That said, you could feel the length of the film at times. The story and direction wasn’t quite clear as well with questions left unanswered. The reveal was unexpected so that was a nice surprise. If you could see it at a theater with Dolby Surround Sound, go for it!” - Ica Cheng
What I Think
Don’t Worry Darling is like a marvelous moving mood board dedicated to the retro aesthetic. And as a fangirl of vintage vibes and fashion (but not vintage values because we can leave the problematic views in the past where it belongs), I was obsessed with the mid-century costumes and the set design. (I want to add everything to my own wardrobe so take my money!) I was also glad to see a 1950s style with more diversity.
There’s a dreamy quality to every scene with spacious interiors and large windows letting the sunshine in while eggs and bacon are sizzling on the pan. And speaking of food, there are so many mouthwatering meals shown throughout the film that you will most likely get hungry/hangry. (Hi, I kind of want to live here!)
All the behind-the-scenes drama aside, Don’t Worry Darling was actually not *that* bad! In fact, knowing all the alleged tea surrounding the film just made me even more impressed seeing Florence Pugh still giving the most in every scene. Harry Styles held his own but she was devouring every moment in the film. She was serving hot mess express as Alice Chambers and I was so on board for the ride. Only Florence can command such attention as she pulls off a visceral downward spiral.
When it comes to the story, I felt confident about correctly guessing significant plot points but wasn’t prepared for the crazy twist towards the end. (Cue the meme, “They had us in the first half, not gonna lie.”) That said, it ended too abruptly and left so many unanswered questions that were more frustrating than thought-provoking.
It’s unfortunate that “spitgate,” leaked video calls, cocktail walks, and other issues distracted from the movie. The film had a lot of potential and just needed to be fleshed out more. Don’t Worry Darling could have been a great mini-series but most people at this point might be clamoring for a “making-of-the-movie” documentary instead.
It’s a story that’s relatable to women because the frustration over not being heard and understood by your partner and all the gaslighting involved will always be relevant. It’s about regaining control, consent, and ultimately, your personal definition of freedom.
So yeah, it’s a bit messy but it’s my kind of messy.
I’d Recommend It To…
- Women who have dealt with toxic masculinity and creepy incels (So basically, all women, let’s be real.)
- Harry Styles fans who want to see him get intimate on the big screen.
- Harry Styles non-believers who are curious about his acting.
- Florence Pugh stans who enjoyed seeing the myriad of horrified expressions shown in Midsommar.
- Viewers who keep a “retro” and “vintage” Pinterest board.
- People who use the old-school filter on their posts.
- Those who feel like an “old soul” and own some legit LPs (and a vinyl player, of course).
- Maritesses who are curious about the final output of all that behind-the-scenes drama.
- Viewers who are into shows like Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone.
- Mild spoiler alert but not plot-relevant: The burlesque fans who will most likely be cheering for Dita Von Teese’s cameo appearance.
- Viewers who were into The Stepford Wives.
- People who want to watch “a movie that feels like a movie.”
Prior to the movie’s nationwide release on September 28, Don’t Worry Darling premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.
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