Shadows on the Wall | Don't Worry Darling

Don’t Worry Darling

dir Olivia Wilde
scr Katie Silberman
prd Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Olivia Wilde, Katie Silberman
with Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Kate Berlant, Nick Kroll, Timothy Simons, Sydney Chandler, Douglas Smith, Dita Von Teese
release US/UK 23.Sep.22
22/US New Line 2h02

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While this thriller is strikingly designed and directed, its story never goes deep enough to make the premise memorable. This is partly because the film harks back to more nuanced variations on the theme, like The Truman Show or The Stepford Wives. But actor-director Olivia Wilde keeps things intriguing, while deploying properly dazzling imagery. And Florence Pugh delivers such a belting central performance that everyone around her pales by comparison.

In the isolated 1950s desert community of Victory, wives maintain ideal homes while husbands head to mysterious jobs. Young Alice and Jack (Pugh and Styles) are so in love that they're distracting their neighbours, including chirpy Bunny (Wilde), her husband Dean (Kroll) and always pregnant Peg (Berlant). The innovative project's boss Frank (Pine) is on hand to deliver inspiring speeches at lively pool parties, while his imperious wife Shelley (Chan) teaches the women's dance class. Then one neighbour (Layne) starts saying that something's wrong, and Alice begins to see cracks in the seemingly perfect facade.

Frank continually reminds everyone that they are creating an idyllic life here, but there are so many secrets that it's clear for anyone even slightly observant that something sinister is going on. Men in red jumpsuits prowl around, dragging off those who disrupt the status quo. And when Alice sees a plane crash in the desert, her attempt to help the downed pilot makes her head spin, literally. All of this is rendered in brilliantly sun-drenched sets, with brightly coloured design and various sexy touches that hold the attention while the mystery deepens.

Pugh gives another textured turn as a young woman who struggles to alert others to an invisible danger (see also Midsommar). Her growing panic is genuinely harrowing, pulling the audience in as things turn nasty. Styles never matches this level of complexity, but has several strong moments of his own, especially with his charming on-screen presence. The supporting cast members add their own layers to the story, with Pine gleefully oozing menace with every smiling, twinkling comment.

As Frank says, chaos is what inhibits progress. So he has created a town where everything is straightforward and easy. But of course, humans crave a bit of chaos, and there are a couple of flickering flashback/visions that reveal contrasts with more recognisably realistic situations. The question for us is whether we could be happy living in a place where we're effortlessly happy. Or perhaps the messiness is actually what defines us.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 5.Sep.22 vff

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