Pop Musician Takes on Role of Psychological Thriller

Charlize Harding, News Editor

“Don’t Worry Darling” was one of the most awaited films due to its high-profile cast.

Florence Pugh plays the leading lady as Alice Chambers. Harry Styles is her counterpart as her husband, Jack Chambers.

The film began its production in Fall 2020 and was announced to be released Fall 2022. The film made its debut Friday.

The movie was anticipated to do well, considering Harry Styles’ fanbase, and most were counting down the days until its release.

The movie begins with a happy-go-lucky 1950s style. Husbands going to their jobs, and the wives are doing household chores.

Though, not everything is as it seems.

Being set in the 1950s, everything seems as perfect as it gets.

In reality, though, they are in present day, looking through eye pieces that can be closely related to virtual reality video games.

Chris Pine’s character, Frank, creates this virtual reality and calls it the victory project.

The victory project is precisely a perfect reality where everyone and everything is happier than they are in real life. In the simulation, Jack has a well-paying job where he can provide for his wife Alice while she stays home and tends to the household chores.

In reality, Alice works as a doctor, and she works 20-hour days at the hospital. Jack is a bum. He cannot keep or find a job and looks very unkempt.

The victory project is a representation of how Jack wishes their life was (1950) instead of how it is (2022).

Jack was so disappointed with how his life was going that he bought the victory project without consulting Alice, so she has no knowledge of the stimulation.

Thus, Alice believes herself to be going crazy. She sees an airplane crash, even though there are no airplanes. She watches a taxi crash and the driver die, but she is the only one to see it.

When Alice makes breakfast for her and her husband, she goes to crack an egg and once she does, nothing comes out.

When Alice tries to tell someone about the things she has been seeing, she is dismissed as crazy.

Any time Alice gets close to the truth, or within the simulation limits, men in red suits come and grab her. The men take her away and ultimately alter her memory so that way she has no recollection of the reality not being real.

The film ends with Alice running, trying to escape. Then the screen goes blank, and it ends with the sound of Alice taking a deep breath.

I was very excited to see this film, as a very big Florence Pugh and Harry Styles fan. Even though I am not into psychological, thriller or mystery movies, I was pleasantly surprised when I liked the film.

I thought the film was interesting, though it isn’t one I would want to see again.

I am not a big fan of the director, Olivia Wilde, so I did go into the film with a negative mindset, but I tried to keep an open mind.

The film was well done, though, and it grasped the attention of the audience . The psychological thriller aspect shines through at almost every moment.

I felt as though I was constantly on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen to Alice. The ending leaves the mind wondering if there will be a second film or if it is simply up to the viewer to make their own interpretation.

Florence Pugh absolutely stunned  me, as she always does in every film. Pugh takes control of the screen in a way where you can’t take your eyes off her.

Harry Styles was a well-played counterpart, he complemented Pugh well . Styles gets into the role and plays the “good bad guy” well.

I never thought I would have such conflicting feelings about a character he plays, yet the character he played made me.