Dog’s Movie House – “Don’t Worry Darling” A Intriguing, Entertaining Misfire!

On paper, “Don’t Worry Darling” looks like a pretty nifty thriller, but the end result is somewhat disappointing. After spending three fourths of the film building an atmosphere of mostly effective dread, the reveals and climax during the final act are underwhelming to say the least. “Don’t Worry Darling” changes from a somewhat hullucination-filled homage to “The Stepford Wives” into something more in the realm of science fiction, but it lacks the logic, suspense and depth to pull it off. Katie Silberman’s script (from a story by Carey and Shane Van Dyke) is too rushed and, dare I say it, too cliched to effectively support its would-be twists in turns.

That’s not to say “Don’t Worry Darling” is a total disaster. Olivia Wilde again shows her confidence and talent behind the camera, creating a brilliantly immersive ode to the 1950s with bright colors and the ultimate utopian design while at the same time effectively hinting at something corrupt underneath. The day-to-day never got boring to me because Wilde continually infuses “Don’t Worry Darling” with enough unusual visuals and creepy moments to keep me interested. It helps that Pugh gives an outstanding performance as the continually unraveling Alice. Her determination and spirit during her ordeal as well as her playfulness before it begins makes Alice a well-rounded character who is easy to root for. Styles isn’t bad as Jack, but clearly he was cast for his looks as Wilde photographs him like an old time movie star. Wilde is fun in a supporting role as Alice’s best friend Bunny, and Pine oozes oily charm as the overly friendly yet somehow sinister Frank.

If “Don’t Worry Darling’s” final act hadn’t been such a dud this film would have been one of the better thrillers of the year. As it stands, “Don’t Worry Darling” is an ambitious, fitfully entertaining film featuring some standout performance, a groovy 50’s soundtrack and some truly stunning cinematography. If only the damn thing made more sense! 3 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

Pages: 1 2

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *