Don't Worry Darling: A Bloated And Boring Black Mirror Special
A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.
When actress Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut in 2019 with Booksmart, everyone (including us) went bananas for her and the film. And for good reason, too; Booksmart is a whip-smart comedy that features breakout lead performances from two performers who exhibit incredibly palpable chemistry. It’s familiar, sure, but it’s infectious and fun. The filmmaking and the writing weren’t groundbreaking, but they were both solid. Unfortunately, there’s not quite that same aptitude, artistry, or symbiosis on display in Wilde’s absolutely disappointing sophomore feature, Don’t Worry Darling.
The film is an amalgam of things we’ve all seen before — and better — all rolled into a boring, bloated, and emotionally unaffecting Black Mirror reject. It’s a little bit Stepford Wives, a little bit Truman Show, a little bit The Matrix, and a little bit Inception, but its incredibly lame Shyamalan twist turns the experience into a pointless snooze. There’s really nothing to be gained from this empty shell of half-baked ideas and rehashed themes. In the case of this stinker, the rumors swirling around its contentious production are vastly more interesting; there has been more compelling engagement around if Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine, than there ever will be about what we’re supposed to take away from this thing.
One thing’s for sure: Florence Pugh is an absolute gem, and she’s capable of saving this film from being a complete disaster. She shines at the center of the film — and sometimes too brightly. Whenever her and Harry Styles share the screen, Pugh dwarves him without even trying. Its ensemble cast has some solid names in it — like KiKi Layne, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll— but the film doesn’t give them anything to do (especially Layne, which is a total shame).
There are some arresting visuals and stirring sequences, but as a whole, Don’t Worry Darling is an extravagant bore. Most of the glaring issues fall back on the script, but there’s enough poor decisions made in the execution to hang a fair bit of the failure on Wilde. You’ll probably find this resplendent blunder on our worst of 2022 list.
Recommendation: Don’t worry about rushing out to catch Don’t Worry Darling. This bloated Black Mirror episode is best experienced in the comforts of your own home — and preferably for free! This one is definitely one of the year’s biggest stinkers.
Step through the looking glass some more by checking out the links below:
Booksmart review
Lady MacBeth review
Midsommar review
Fighting With My Family review
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!