Film: Don’t Worry Darling
Cast: Chris Pine, Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Kate Berlant
Director: Olivia Wilde
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 123 mins

Though high-concept, Olivia Wilde’s sophomore effort as director isn’t convincing nor satisfying. It’s very showy and pristine in look but the lack of strength in characterization, staleness of story, and facile depth in telling don’t make for compelling, involved viewing. That’s not to say you won’t derive pleasure from the pristine, picture-perfect look of the actors, their sartorial perfection, sexual proclivities and ‘life-is-a-never-ending-party’ lifestyle.

The audience might feel gravitated towards this suburban Shangri-la, a town called Victory – away from the city with its minimalist, all-white, modern homes, in an idyllic haven, shining brightly somewhere in the California desert. Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) and Alice (Florence Pugh) are one of the ‘chosen’ few couples and families inhabiting this ideal of wonderment. But is it really that… is a question that gets answered towards the climactic moments? That’s when the mysterious Victory Project community unwraps warped idealism and exposes its disturbing overtones that belie all the smiling faces and perfect marriages showcased previously.