Cindy Prascik's Review of Don't Worry Darling

 

My dear reader(s), this week I was able to catch up with one of the year's most talked-about movies, Don't Worry Darling.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

A woman begins to suspect her perfect community is not all it seems.

Don't Worry Darling is a passable thriller victimized by a disastrous publicity campaign. The story is nothing very new or surprising, but the movie maintains tension well enough and is blessed with an eminently watchable cast, led by the always stellar Florence Pugh. Of course, It's Harry Styles who drew me to the film (not usually the sort of thing that would interest me) and yet again I'll give him credit for being good enough that I wasn't thinking of him as Harry Styles (TM) while watching. (To qualify this achievement: I'm *always* thinking of Harry Styles.) The rest of the supporting cast - featuring Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Kiki Layne, and director Olivia Wilde - is solid, with special mention to Chris Pine, who plays sinister exceedingly well for such a benignly handsome dude. Don't Worry Darling keeps a nice place, is creepy throughout (though not always in the way it means to be), and features a terrific soundtrack filled with some great oldies. If the last act feels a bit contrived, for the most part it's still an enjoyable but forgettable thriller.

Don't Worry Darling clocks in at 123 minutes and is rated R for "sexuality, violent content, and language."

Don't Worry Darling is a decent thriller that undoubtedly would have fared better had it kept its drama onscreen. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Don't Worry Darling gets five.

Don't Worry Darling is now playing on the HBO family of channels, and streaming on HBO Max.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: DON'T WORRY DARLING

 

A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets.

Director: Olivia Wilde

Cast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Chris Pine

Release Date: September 23, 2022

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for sexuality, violent content and language

Runtime: 2h 2m

Review:

Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling, which has been mired in offscreen drama before its release, is glossy, intriguing in parts, but ultimately little more than a rehash of well-worn tropes.  Wilde, for her part, delivers well-constructed shots which take advantage of the gorgeous sets and wardrobing on display intercut with some cinematic tricks to give it all an unsettling feel.  Unfortunately, there is a lack of subtly right from the start which kills the majority of tension from the central mystery.  That's not to say there aren't twist and turns throughout its overlong runtime but it never takes the material into new thematic territory.  The film's saving grace is Florence Pugh who carries the film with a committed and engaging turn as a wife who feels the walls of reality closing in on her, sometimes literally.  Pugh's authenticity shines through here making you care about her character even though the endgame is fairly obvious.  She's always the most interesting person onscreen especially the script doesn't bother to give any of the supporting characters much depth if any.  Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll and Chris Pine are saddled with one note characters since the film seems content with them serving as nothing more than high end eye candy.  Populating a film with this much talent only to let it go to waste is a huge miss for the film since it could have added far more nuance to its story especially in its increasingly nonsensical final act.  Don't Worry Darling may feel fresh to people unfamiliar with its cinematic forebears like The Stepford Wives, The Truman Show, Pleasantville or Dark City but if you are then it's nothing more than a hollow rehash.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: SING 2

 

Can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch -- he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Director: Garth Jennings

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, Nick Offerman, Bobby Cannavale, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Chelsea Peretti, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Adam Buxton, Bono

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Musical

Rated PG for some rude material and mild peril/violence

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Garth Jennings's Sing 2 is a fun breezy family film that's easy to enjoy.  Sing 2 doesn't break any new ground or really dig deep into any big themes so it's not quite as impactful as some of Pixar's films.  It understands what it is and provides a fizzy, colorful jukebox musical that's always fun and entertaining regardless of how old you are.  Matthew McConaughey leads the film as the go getter koala Buster Moon.  Much like in the original, you get the feeling that McConaughey really enjoys voicing this character because he disappears into the role so much so that you occasionally forget it's him behind the microphone.  Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly all return with each getting a chance to show off their impressive singing voices.  Newcomers Bobby Cannavale, Chelsea Peretti and Halsey are all great fun with the latter clearly having a great time.  Bono who plays the reclusive rock star lion is far better than expected in his limited role.  Sing 2 is an easily digestible family film that works well as mindless entertainment for kids and parents alike.

B+