Don’t Worry Darling Review (2022) - A twisted paradise of mystery, manipulation, and mind games that will leave you second guessing everything!
Spooky month continues! There has been a film that’s been on our minds lately that we felt deserved more attention than it got! 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling! This one feels like a puzzle box wrapped in a shiny package, teasing your curiosity and then flipping everything upside down. This one’s a wild ride, filled with psychological twists, a bit of retro glam, a whole lot of suspense and we potatoes love it!
From the get-go, it’s clear that Don’t Worry Darling isn’t your average thriller. It’s stylish, eerie, and at times, more confusing than anything else, but in the best possible way! The film plays with your perception, almost daring you to figure out what’s going on. It’s not so much a scream-out-loud horror flick but a slow-burn thriller that’s going to stick in your head long after the credits roll…it certainly stood out to us!
Before we get too deep into the details, here are a few trigger warnings. This film deals with themes of gaslighting, psychological manipulation, loss of autonomy, emotional abuse, sexism, misogyny, and power imbalances. There are some intense scenes that may hit close to home for anyone sensitive to themes of control or psychological distress. We potatoes will openly admit that this is a triggering film for us, and while we still enjoy it immensely, watch with caution.
We’re going to do our best to avoid spoilers, but there might be some minor spoilers ahead. Let’s just say, if you’re ready to fall down this rabbit hole, pour yourself a strong drink, because this one is a doozy!
Let’s begin!
The film opens with a 1950’s party! Alice (Florence Pugh), her spouse Jack (Harry Styles), and all their friends are playing party games, and having a great time! There is laughter, lighthearted banter and everything seems idyllic!
The next morning, the 1950’s fantasy continues! Alice prepares breakfast for Jack, and everything is just perfect. Retro cars, perfect houses, and a sense of order that seems almost too good to be true. Alice is living the “dream!” She’s got a loving husband, a beautiful house, and a tight-knit community of friends who all seem blissfully happy. They all live in the seemingly tranquil town of Victory, where everything glimmers with 1950’s charm. But we potatoes quickly felt the tension, the perfection feels surface level and there is something off about everyone’s smiles.
Jack heads off to work with a smile on his face! He joins the other men as they pile into sleek cars and drive off in a synchronized procession. They all work for the “Victory Project”, a mysterious operation led by Frank (Chris Pine), the charismatic, eerie and slightly enigmatic leader of the community. The women wave their husbands off from their doorsteps, with a smile. There's a ritualistic air to this daily routine, and the sense of order and control is unmistakable!
After the men have left for work, all the women of Victory fall into their daily routines of housework, shopping, and socializing. All of the stereotypes are here, and with no subtly. Alice joins her friends, including Bunny (Olivia Wilde), in a lively ballet exercise class!
The class is led by Frank’s wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan), who is the epitome of grace and elegance. She speaks to the women with a calm, authoritative voice, reinforcing the idea that they should be grateful for their lives in Victory. There's a strong sense of conformity in the group, as the women move in perfect unison, representing the control that seems to permeate every aspect of their lives. We must all fit into the boxes that society has dictated for us. It gave us potatoes the creeps!
As Alice goes through her days, there are subtle hints that things aren’t quite as perfect as they appear. Small cracks start to show in her perception of reality. She notices strange occurrences. The unsettling feeling grows when she witnesses odd glitches in her surroundings. These moments are fleeting, but they plant a seed of doubt in her mind, suggesting that something more sinister is lurking beneath the town’s polished surface.
We are going to wrap up here to avoid too many spoilers! As Alice starts to notice more and more of the cracks in the shiny veneer of her world, we’re pulled into a maze of paranoia and suspicion! Things start to feel more and more off the more Alice digs, the more unsettling it all becomes, and the more you start to question everything! Where is Victory exactly? Why is it so isolated from the rest of the world? What are the men really doing at work? What are their jobs? Well we potatoes are not the only ones with questions!
The tension ramps up when Alice begins questioning the Victory Project itself! Jack and the other men in town leave for work each day, heading off to do something top-secret, and no one really knows what it is! The women are told not to ask questions, to simply enjoy their “perfect” lives and be grateful for what they have. But Alice can’t ignore the growing sense of dread gnawing at her, and the feeling that everything around her is not what it seems! As the film races towards its conclusion, the layers of mystery peel back to reveal some truly mind-bending twists!
We greatly enjoyed this film! One of the movie’s strongest elements is how it tackles the theme of control! Victory seems like a paradise, but underneath that picture-perfect exterior lies a disturbing undercurrent of manipulation and secrecy. It’s like Stepford Wives meets The Twilight Zone, where everything is just too shiny, everyone smiles a little too wide and laughs a little too loudly. And just like in Vivarium, there’s this feeling of being trapped, where escape is tantalizingly close yet maddeningly impossible!
Most importantly, Don’t Worry Darling presents a chilling look at the patriarchy and misogyny that is embedded within our society! The town of Victory is a meticulously crafted, seemingly perfect community where women are confined to traditional roles, their lives centered on domesticity, beauty, and giving unwavering support to their husbands. The men, on the other hand, control every aspect of the town, from their wives’ routines to their thoughts and beliefs, keeping them in the dark about the true nature of their existence.
This control reveals a deep-rooted misogyny, where women’s autonomy and individuality are stripped away, turning them into idealized versions of partners and homemakers who exist solely to serve and satisfy male desires. The film exposes the disturbing reality of gender power dynamics, showcasing how easily our toxic patriarchal system can manipulate, gaslight and indoctrinate women into compliance. This, unfortunately, resonates strongly with the real world today, where society still enforces limiting roles on women and devalue their agency. Even now, we see echoes of this control in workplace inequalities, gender-based violence, and the constant policing of women’s choices and bodies! Don’t Worry Darling reminds us that the fight against patriarchal norms and misogyny is far from over, urging us to challenge the systems that continue to undermine gender equality and autonomy in our modern world! A message that we honestly feel can’t be said enough. Films like this help keep the truth from being so easily hidden. It provides much needed perspective and helps give women a voice.
We potatoes really appreciate a film that dives headfirst into real world problems, and psychological thrills like this! It’s a story that makes you think, messes with your head, and refuses to give easy answers. Alice’s journey feels like a desperate scramble for truth in a world that’s gaslighting her at every turn. It can be triggering at times, because of how closely it reflects a lot of what women still go through today. It’s intense, it’s frustrating, and it’s brilliantly unsettling!
Florence Pugh is a standout in this film! Her performance as Alice is powerful. She conveys a mix of determination, confusion, vulnerability, and raw emotion that pulls you into her world. You really feel for her as she fights against the web of lies spun around her! Harry Styles, in his role as Jack, brings an interesting duality to the character, charming and devoted on one hand, yet there’s this underlying unease about him that keeps you guessing. And we can’t forget about Chris Pine as Frank! The mysterious leader of Victory, who plays his part with an unnerving charm and calm that sent shivers down our spines! They all did such a fantastic job, but Chris Pine was probably the most surprising! We potatoes have not seen him play a role like this before so it was really refreshing!
Much like Vivarium, Don’t Worry Darling isn’t shy about holding up a mirror to society’s expectations and the pressure to conform! It digs into the unsettling idea that the roles we’re assigned in life might not actually be of our own choosing, and how dangerous it can be when we’re forced to live up to a distorted vision of happiness that is not truly our own. Like Vivarium, this film pushes you to question what choices are truly your own. Did you choose your beliefs and lifestyle or did others and society do so? Are any of us truly free to make our own choices? We should be, but are we truly? And isn’t our society only becoming more stringent? More controlling? Is this where we are headed? That is an intimidating thought.
Overall, we loved Don’t Worry Darling! It’s a film that’s not just about the mystery, but also about the fight to reclaim one’s sense of self and autonomy! It’s a cautionary tale wrapped in suspense and sprinkled with moments that’ll leave you feeling both amazed and disturbed. We highly recommend this one!
So, if you’re in the mood for a movie that’s mysterious, unsettling, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, Don’t Worry Darling might be just what you’re looking for. It’s a beautiful nightmare, a wild thrill ride that digs deep into psychological warfare and the price of perfection! Cheers to another thought-provoking journey into the darker side of humanity and society! And most importantly, cheers to you!
We give this movie 5 out 5 Martini’s!
The Don't Worry Darling Drinking Game
Take a sip anytime:
1. Anyone says “Victory”
2. Anyone drinks an alcoholic beverage
3. Anyone gaslights Alice
4. Anyone goes to the glass/mirror house on the hill
5. Anyone questions their reality or there is a distortion of reality
6. There's a zoom in on food
7. There's an earthquake
8. The men gather around to talk
9. Synchronized dancing on screen
10. Alice is cleaning
11. Alice is cooking
12. Alice has a flashback
13. Alice hums a song
14. Frank's radio show is playing in the background
15. Frank gives a speech
16. Jack behaves in a cagey or unsettling way
17. There's an intimate scene between Alice and Jack
What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!