“Don’t Worry Darling” was rumored to be the best movie of the year. While it might have fallen short of that standard, it has definitely become the most talked about.

Over a year ago, director Olivia Wilde posted a teaser trailer for the film, starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh. When these leading actors were announced, fans erupted with anticipation. It lay in the background of everyone’s minds until publicity erupted with its release at the Venice Film Festival.

It has been largely rumored that Wilde began a romantic relationship with Styles while on set leading to discussions that Wilde was so involved in her relationship that she lacked in the directorial section of the film. Pugh is believed to have stepped up for some of the directing and has received no credit for this task. Pugh has clearly been angered by some acts surrounding this film as she has produced almost no press on her social media. There is a report of a huge screaming match between Pugh and Wilde that caused Pugh to dislike the film. And then there is the largest debate surrounding the premier: did Harry Styles spit in Chris Pine’s lap? It is said that all press in good press which is fairly true as the film had a $20 million first weekend box office report.

“Don’t Worry Darling” follows a community called the Victory Project. Their lives are perfect. Every day the husbands leave for work in their pressed suits and perfect cars, while their beautiful wifes wave goodbye. Alice (Florence Pugh) watches her husband Jack (Harry Styles), leave for work in this fashion every day. Everything in the community is perfect until Alice begins to notice strange things that do not make sense. One of the housewives begins to go crazy and warns Alice not to trust anyone. After this she questions everything and everyone. She does not know what to believe or who to trust.

Although the movie does not have the most incredible plot, it does not deserve the criticism it has received. The plot was fairly engaging and kept audiences watching. However, the twist at the end came as quite a disappointment. The film had built the story up to potentially have a really revolutionary twist, but it ended up being just mediocre. 

The acting from Pugh was outstanding. This woman is one of the leading actresses of our generation and she delivers every time. Her acting makes the story feel more real and raw. Her character slowly loses sanity throughout the film and Pugh is incredibly believable in this aspect. Her acting makes viewers feel as if they are losing their minds along with her due to the reliability of her character.

On the other hand, Styles’ is average. He is far too over the top in many of his scenes which feels tacky and not believable. This is Harry Styles’ second role in a movie, and first as a lead so it was a very bold move for Wilde to have chosen him. Few doubted Pugh’s skills but Styles’ and the plot were called into question even before the film was released.

The juxtaposition of the two makes for an awkward meeting between realistic portrayal from Pugh and acting from Styles. Pugh’s energy is truly electric and delivers each line beautifully. However, Styles counteracts her with lines that do not feel authentic. As almost all of Styles’ scenes are with Pugh, this does not bode well for his acting career.

On another note, the soundtrack on this film was perfect. Many times the sound, or lack thereof, makes the audience feel uncomfortable and crazy. Whenever Alice was confronted with something that did not fit right in her world, the soundtrack would intensify the experience and make viewers as confused as she was.

The cinematography was also stunning. For a film meant to explore the concept of utopia, everything felt ideal and perfect. The colors were aesthetically pleasing, the sky was always blue and sunny, the homes were clean and perfect. Everything looked perfect which heightened the feeling of discomfort. 

The most disappointing part of the story was the lack of fulfillment of the suspense. Although the soundtrack truly makes the audience feel uncomfortable and distrurbed, the film does not satisfy that feeling. The suspense continues to build but never delivers. It is missing the piece that pushes the plot over the top to be exactly what it needed to be.

Overall the movie is not bad. The buildup of suspense is done very well and the acting from Pugh and many of the supporting characters is outstanding. It is simply the let down of the ending and the performance from Styles that brings down reviews. It is a movie worth watching but not one worth remembering.