With a cast of A-listers and tons of drama allegedly brewing behind the scenes, all eyes have been on the cast and director Olivia Wilde of Don't Worry Darling. However, the behind-the-scenes drama and cast of beloved actors isn’t managing to save the Warner Bros. film from bad reviews.
Warner Bros.' Don't Worry Darling is set in the 1950s, following the “American dream” type couple Alice Chambers (played by Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (played by Harry Styles) as they reside in the community of Victory, which is an experimental company town that is home to the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands are away at work, the wives get to enjoy the beauty and luxury of their seemingly perfect new life in Victory. However, when cracks in her paradise begin to become easier to spot, Alice can't help but question her life and exactly what's going on in Victory. The cast also includes Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Sydney Chandler, and Olivia Wilde herself even appears in the movie.
With Don’t Worry Darling premiering at the Venice Film Festival on September 5th and the most recent premiere in New York on September 19th at the Lincoln Square Theater, reviews are beginning to rapidly roll in as the film gears up for its theatrical release soon. However, according to film critics, Don't Worry Darling isn’t what anyone expected and falls flat. On Rotten Tomatoes the reviews are following a similar consensus.
Newsday (Rafer Guzman):
As it happens, “Don’t Worry Darling” is neither disaster nor masterpiece. Visually, it’s a stunner — as sumptuous a movie as any you’re likely to see this year. The story it tries to tell, however, never gels in a statisfying way."
Score: 2/4
Chicago Tribune (Michael Philips):
“Silberman and Wilde should’ve seen the problems with their story, and its central, rusty hook, literal years before filming started.”
Score: 2/4
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday):
"There turns out to be a doozy of a twist in “Don’t Worry Darling” that feels both facile and like a wasted opportunity. There might have been some good ideas in here about ambition and ambivalence, desire and self-deception. But they turn out to be as fleeting as a tumbleweed blowing through suburbia by a Santa Ana wind."
Score: 1.5/4
Despite its cast of talented actors and intriguing preface, most critics who have seen Don't Worry Darling are in agreement that the film doesn’t bring anything to the table that hasn’t been seen before. With the theatrical release rapidly approaching, fans will finally get a chance to give their opinions on the story told in Don’t Worry Darling, as well as the performances of the film's cast.
Don't Worry Darling will be released in theaters on September 23, 2022.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes