I am going to preface this by saying that I am by no means a film critic. In fact, I have never even taken a film class in college. That being said, I watched Don’t Worry Darling last week with my friends, and I have some thoughts. Considering all of the hype, drama, and controversy surrounding the movie, I was very curious to see it for myself and form my own opinions.
- Harry Styles’ Acting
I went into this movie with very low expectations for Harry Styles’ acting. I heard that he was underqualified for the role and that his acting was embarrassingly bad. I was pleasantly surprised by his acting. Harry certainly surpassed my expectations, albeit the bar was fairly low. Harry Styles’ role in the movie was much smaller than I had anticipated, but he did a fine job with his character. I think “fine” is the best way to describe his acting in Don’t Worry Darling. He did not do anything amazing, and he did not do anything terrible. The only time I found myself cringing was when he had a more challenging scene where he had to show a lot of emotion. All in all, Harry Styles did a solid job and surpassed my low expectations.
- Florence Pugh’s Acting
Florence Pugh was truly the star of Don’t Worry Darling. Based on the trailers, I did not realize how central Florence Pugh’s character was. I knew she was going to be the main character, but I thought that there would be other main characters, specifically Harry’s character. However, Florence Pugh truly carried this movie. Her acting was phenomenal and she made the movie a more enjoyable experience. Before Don’t Worry Darling, I had seen Pugh in Little Women and had admired her acting in that movie. After watching her in Don’t Worry Darling, I am a huge Florence Pugh fan and want to see all of her movies now. I fully understand the current hype around Florence Pugh and I believe that it is well-deserved.
- The Plot
Don’t Worry Darling is a Sci-Fi/Dystopian movie with a lot of suspense. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as someone who enjoys watching that kind of genre, I liked it. I do not think it was groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but I was engaged for almost the entire movie. The beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up the pace—and I was surprised by the plot twist. The premise of the movie is a suburban community reminiscent of the 1950s in which the women stay home and clean and cook while the men work on a top-secret project called the “Victory Project,” and the main character Alice Chambers, played by Florence Pugh, begins to question the community and how she came to live there. I will avoid going into spoilers, but while I found the plot twist to be well executed, I was left with many questions at the end of the movie that I wish they had answered. I wanted more background and details on the main characters’ lives and the start of the community and the Victory Project. Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed Don’t Worry Darling and would watch it again.
- Overall Experience and Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to others. I do not think that it is deserving of its 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was not the best movie I have ever seen, but Florence Pugh’s performance and the engaging and unique plot made it entertaining and a worthwhile film. If you haven’t already seen it, I suggest going into it with an open mind and forming your own opinion of the movie. I know that there is still a lot of drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling, and some people have very strong criticisms of the movie, but I think people should give it a chance and form their own thoughts on it.
If you haven’t seen Don’t Worry Darling yet, go watch it and decide for yourself what you think!