Don’t Worry Darling leaves viewers perplexed

The+cast+of+Dont+Worry+Darling+poses+for+a+photo+at+the+Venice+Film+Festival.+

Courtesy of Vogue

The cast of “Don’t Worry Darling” poses for a photo at the Venice Film Festival.

Have you ever felt like we are in a simulation? That someone is controlling our lives, and there is a loophole to get out of it? Don’t Worry Darling perfectly encapsulates this feeling along with its star studded cast which attracts audiences of all ages. Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, and Gemma Chan all acted in this psychological thriller (intended for mature audiences).

The movie begins with Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) living a perfect married life. They had nothing going on in their lives except love for each other and a safe community to live in, called Victory. Set in the 1950s, everyone and their friends would party every single day, with flapper dresses and cocktails to go around.

Every day, the same morning routine occurs. Alice cooked Jack’s breakfast, and Jack left for work while Alice waved goodbye to him. In fact, this happened in every household in the neighborhood, with every wife doing the housework while the men went off to work. This seemed normal to everyone, except Alice, who discovered more about her current situation, which deemed her as crazy to society. In reality, they were put into this simulation because of their past, miserable lives, giving them a chance to live in a utopian society. This, however, did not sit well with Alice due to her old friend, who is now an outcast to society. This girl, Margaret, discovered the reality of the simulation before the rest of the community, and she went crazy because she felt trapped with her son. As the movie progresses, viewers learn more about what is really happening and the reason behind the goriness of it all.

In my opinion, I really enjoyed the movie: the cast, the plot, the funny moments, the scary moments, and how it messed with my mind. However, critics are calling the movie slow paced and the peak of white feminism. I do agree that some parts of the movie could have been better explained, but that is the whole reason that it is said to be a psychological thriller. The movie focused a lot on women not having a big role in society, and the men were the ones receiving promotions and being the breadwinners. However, there was very little diversity, and the only Black woman, Margaret, was not given a happy ending due to society not believing in her. On the other hand, few members started listening to Alice, who is a white woman, when she addressed the same points. Critics do point out that this was the belief of society at that time as well, but think that it could have been addressed in a different manner altogether.

I do, however, hope that they release a sequel sometime in the future. A lot of the plot points for some key characters were left in the dust, and it would be really interesting to see the side plots of the movie more and not just focus on Alice and Jack.

Overall, I enjoyed watching “Don’t Worry Darling,” especially with actors I love. I think the best experience would be watching the movie in theaters (with an adult due to it being R-rated), so you get the full experience of the sound effects and visuals.