Movie Review: Don’t Worry Darling

BY: JENNA HUBBS

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Don’t Worry Darling is a movie set in a 1950s utopian experimental suburb where a housewife, living with her working husband, begins to suspect that her spouse’s job isn’t as perfect as it seems. 

With leading actors Harry Styles as Jack, Chris Pine as Frank, and actress Florence Pugh as Alice, the film has a well rounded cast that portrays their roles perfectly. Director Olivia Wilde produced a highly anticipated film, becoming a nominee for the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Most Anticipated Film Award.

The film had a budget of $20,000,000 (estimated). Released September 23, 2022, it earned $19,353,213 in the U.S. on opening weekend alone.

 I watched Don’t Worry Darling the day following its release. While I often get bored during movies or end up on my phone, this movie held my attention the entire two hours and three minutes. I was on the edge of my seat, holding my breath to see what happened next. The movie had several plot twists that left my mouth wide open. I did notice that there were breadcrumbs left in order for the viewers who really dig deep and analyze to have a good idea of what is around the corner. 

Sometimes when films are set in the past, the details, such as the scenery, behaviors, and beliefs of the characters, get fudged and it becomes less realistic; with Don’t Worry Darling however, that was not the case. Even if I had not  read the movie’s synopsis prior to watching it, I would have most definitely been able to tell that everything was set in the 1950s. 

I would personally classify this movie as a romantic thriller, but it is a hard movie to just label as one or two things; it has aspects of many different genres. I would 1000% recommend Don’t Worry Darling to pretty much anyone. The theater in which I watched the movie was dead silent. Not one person made a peep, holding our breaths in response to the overflowing suspense.  The actors did an amazing job of portraying their roles and it made the whole experience so much better.