When Don’t Worry Darling was first announced, no one could have imagined the film, Olivia Wilde’s sophomore feature as a director, would be so mired in controversy ahead of its theatrical release. It seems as though the psychological thriller has become popular because of all the rumors and alleged behind-the-scenes conflicts that have taken over headlines and center stage during the film’s press tour.
The film follows Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh), a 1950s housewife who lives in an idyllic and exclusive community. Her husband, Jack (Harry Styles), works for the Victory Project, a mysterious initiative founded by the charismatic, but equally elusive Frank (Chris Pine). Alice is content in her life and role for a while. That is, until something changes and she begins to suspect that something is not quite right with the Victory Project or the community, and that perhaps something sinister is actually going on.
Don’t Worry Darling had its premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival on September 5. The cast, including Pugh, Pine, Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll were all in attendance. Initially, the controversy surrounding on-set conflicts and behind-the-scenes drama seemed exaggerated, when tabloids took notice that Pugh wasn’t promoting the film on her Instagram. However, the film’s press tour, which really took off around the time of the Venice Film Festival, stirred the rumors and fueled the online gossip that something was perhaps going on between Pugh and Wilde, in particular. Now that the film is out in theaters, was Don’t Worry Darling’s quality worth the swirling controversy making up the majority of headlines about the film? Did the controversy help or harm the film? Here is a breakdown of whether the psychological thriller was good enough to overcome the controversy in the end.
Was Don’t Worry Darling Worth It After All The Controversy?
Don’t Worry Darling is in a strange place, to be sure. The rumors and speculation surrounding the film and its cast have become an unfolding drama that has sparked interest in many. The controversy — including Harry Styles being accused of spitting on Chris Pine and Florence Pugh avoiding the Don’t Worry Darling press conference — has been the subject of online fodder for weeks. Suffice it to say the film doesn’t exactly live up to the spectacle that has been made of the reported behind-the-scenes conflicts. Don’t Worry Darling has a lot of negative reviews, and a score of 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, an aggregated score pulled from 214 reviews and counting as of this writing.
This is an instance in which the film, which certainly stands on its own merits despite the controversy and overall poor critical reception, doesn’t rise above the drama that clouded audience’s perception long before it was released in theaters. It’s a solid psychological thriller, but the plot itself is not as unexpected or as intriguing as what’s been happening offscreen. To be sure, rumors of a feud between Wilde and Pugh, claims that Shia LaBeouf was fired from the film (though he insists he quit), and all the videos of Pine seemingly zoning out during interviews and the Don’t Worry Darling screening itself have catapulted the film into the limelight. Ultimately, no matter how good or bad viewers and critics might consider the film to be (though there is a disparity between scores), the controversy was always going to shine brighter than the actual movie.
Why Don’t Worry Darling’s Controversy Actually Benefits The Film
While the controversy, and not the quality of Don’t Worry Darling, has driven almost every conversation about the film, the headlines, reports, and videos that launched the online gossip mill likely piqued audience’s interest where there otherwise was none. It’s possible many will watch it in theaters because of all the rumors. After all, the controversy turned Don’t Worry Darling into a buzz-worthy film. All the headlines about alleged conflicts haven’t hurt the film’s ticket sales at all. In fact, Wilde’s sophomore directorial feature sold out 21 IMAX theater locations in advance of its nationwide release.
What’s more, the psychological thriller is estimated to rake in between $17-20 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, and it’s possible it could make up to $26 million if some projections are correct. That’s pretty good for a film that cost $35 million to make. Certainly, fans of Harry Styles, whose role in Don’t Worry Darling marks his second feature role, are eager to see the singer in the film. However, Styles being in Wilde’s film likely isn’t the only thing driving viewers to theaters.The controversial buzz had to have some kind of effect on Don't Worry Darling's reception considering how prominent it was in the lead-up to the film's theatrical release. As the saying goes, all press is good press, and that couldn’t be truer for Don’t Worry Darling, which has thrived on the publicity.