Quartile rating: 8/10 · 2 ratings
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. But when cracks in their 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.
Don't Worry Darling is visually stunning — Mathew Libatique's lush, sun-drenched cinematography of the Palm Springs midcentury aesthetic is genuinely exceptional, earning top marks. The performances are solid, particularly Florence Pugh who carries the film emotionally and physically. However, the plot leans heavily on familiar Stepford Wives territory without adding much new, and the twist — while not without tension — feels undercooked and raises more logical questions than it resolves, weakening the ending considerably. The concept of a simulated 1950s patriarchal prison isn't novel enough to distinguish the film meaningfully from predecessors like Get Out or The Stepford Wives itself. The result is a film that looks better than it feels.