Frank’s wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan), is his loyal enforcer, preaching the virtues of order and control to a ballet class of bored homemakers. Frank (Chris Pine), the head of the Victory Project, is more than just a boss he’s a quasi guru, delivering constant diatribes-at house parties, on the radio-to his underlings about the importance of their work, without specifying what that work actually is. Jack and Alice aren’t alone in their seeming domestic bliss. Absent any further detail, Alice stays home all day to fix dinner, scrub the tub, and rock the occasional housecoat. Her husband, Jack (Harry Styles), works on a project he describes as “the development of progressive materials.” Only the men in Victory participate in this venture. (Victory may be fictional, but its looming mountains, surrounding desert, and sleek architecture are unmistakably Palm Springs, where Wilde and her crew shot many scenes on location.) The cinematography and set design-by Matthew Libatique and Katie Byron, respectively-convey an Atomic Age idyll, one that entrances both Alice and the audience. Pugh stars as Alice, a dutiful housewife in a planned community known as the Victory Project. But that doesn’t mean the heavily teased twist isn’t worth unpacking-if only because it proves the film doesn’t need the extracurricular hoopla to fall short on its own terms. The gossip mill had other plans, of course. The question of what, exactly, lies beneath its glossy, mid-century surface is meant to drive audience interest, not the all-but-confirmed rumors that Wilde and leading lady Florence Pugh are on the outs. And it deserves to be evaluated on those terms, too.ĭon’t Worry Darling is also a mystery of sorts. It is, in theory, a feminist thriller helmed by a promising filmmaker whose debut was profitable and well liked enough to spark an 18-way bidding war for her follow-up. (Though my colleague Katie Baker put together a comprehensive guide.) But at the end of the day, Don’t Worry Darling isn’t just an occasion for fervent gossip or Miss Flo memes. Olivia Wilde’s second film as a director has spent the past month engulfed in a flood of leaked videos, canceled interviews, and alleged spit, a PR fiasco we don’t need to revisit here. But when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can't help questioning exactly what they're doing in Victory, and why.At this point, to treat Don’t Worry Darling as an actual movie with a plot, script, and creative choices is to do it a favor. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. Life is perfect, with every resident's needs met by the company. While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the "development of progressive materials," their wives-including Frank's elegant partner, Shelley-get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. The 1950's societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank-equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach-anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia. Alice and Jack are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families.
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