As we come to the end of this mini-season, what I have been most impressed with regarding Florence Pugh is her versatility. Pugh’s 2019 contained three leading roles in critically acclaimed films of different genres – a significant feat unmatched by many others. Even from a logistical standpoint this achievement is impressive, as finishing shooting of Midsommar in Hungary quickly transpired into joining the cast of Little Women in Boston, Massachusetts only days later. To convey so many powerful emotions in a short period of time earned her a breather during 2020, unless participating in Zoë Bell’s BOSS BITCH FIGHT CHALLENGE was a strenuous cameo. However, since then, she has already established herself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and most recently turned up in style at the premiere of the hotly-discussed Don’t Worry Darling.
Following the success of her 2019 directorial debut Booksmart, Olivia Wilde pivots from coming-of-age comedy to psychological thriller with her new feature film Don’t Worry Darling. Set in an idyllic 1950s California community, Pugh plays loving housewife Alice to Harry Styles’ Jack. Whilst he works for the Victory Corporation, like every other man in the neighbourhood, Alice stays at home to cook and clean as well as gossip with best friend Bunny (Wilde). Every other evening, somebody hosts a party in the tight-knit cul-de-sac paradise, all of which is overseen by Victory HQ founder Frank (Chris Pine) and his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan). Yet this perfection is brought into dispute when neighbour Margaret (Kiki Layne) is promptly silenced after asking some uncomfortable questions. As she embarks on her own pursuit for answers, Alice’s life begins to slowly unravel around her.
What also continues to unravel is the drama behind the scenes despite production ending months ago. Controversy of spit-gate and arriving late at the Venice International Film Festival has been followed by 40 crew members issuing a joint statement insisting allegations of unprofessional behaviour on the set are false. Daily publicity has led to a successful opening weekend (UK box office at £2.77 million) but it comes with the price of overexposure. People were already criticising Styles’ acting prior to release and whilst it was somewhat justified having watched the final performance, it did not warrant such a viral pile-on. Coupling this with the trailer, which has been unavoidable against my best wishes, results in a lot of the mystery being revealed before even reaching the cinema. Integral plot points appear in the preview, successfully condensing two hours of runtime into three minutes with limited piecing together required.
It is unfortunate to have had that experience as the opening pitches the atmosphere well for those without prior knowledge. Fifties suburban bliss has been stylised excellently for the set as well as costumes, accompanied by catchy, popular contemporary hits . This serves nicely as a juxtaposition for the underlying eerie tone that seeps in as the story progresses, immersing the audience in the world Wilde built. Yet, the slow-burn nature of the film highlights the lack of depth that coincides with the tell-all trailer. Lackadaisical pacing means lingering on points we have already gotten for the sake of further jumpscare-adjacent moments. Pay-offs were reached way too late and, despite talented supporting actors like Nick Kroll and Kate Berlant, there’s no investment in two dimensional characters to delve into whilst waiting.
All of this extra time allowed me to start asking questions horror films don’t want you to consider whilst watching. Being far-fetched is fine, and not everything has to make sense (I like Jordan Peele’s Us for example, which falls to pieces under any critical thought), but there’s a problem when it starts affecting my perception of character’s motivations and fundamental story arcs. Somewhere underneath the style and strolling speed is a sharp, feminist thriller about partriarchal control and toxic gaslighting akin to Midsommar. However, this cannot be relied upon solely, and the slack left everywhere else is too much for Pugh’s consistently great acting to tighten up.