Since July 2019, many have been excitedly anticipating the release of “Don’t Worry Darling.” After over three years of waiting, the psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde finally hit the theaters on Sept. 23, 2022. Unfortunately, despite high expectations from fans and the notable cast, the movie seems to have let down the audience.

The movie follows a housewife named Alice (Florence Pugh) in a 1950s-style community. Her life seems picture perfect– with house parties, neighborhood gossip and a loving relationship with her husband, Jack (Harry Styles), it seems like Alice couldn’t be happier. 

Not long after the movie begins, it quickly begins to feel unsettling. Alice experiences many things in the neighborhood that feel out of place, leaving both her and the audience confused. Eventually, she starts to see flashing visions and it becomes obvious that something is wrong. 

One day, Alice sees a plane crash into the mountains surrounding the desert beyond the neighborhood and decides to go after it, despite strict rules within the community that prohibit the women from leaving. She comes across a strange building out in the middle of the desert where she realizes the horrible truth; her community is not what she thought it was. After her reality comes crashing down, Alice finds herself struggling to hold onto her sanity and not be seen as hysterical as she fights to uncover the truth.

The movie was captivating and well-developed. The soundtrack contained eerie, unnerving vocals that made the movie even more thrilling. The movie also contained bright imagery and in many cases, beautiful cinematography. One of my favorite things about it was how the little pieces came together throughout the film to uncover the whole truth, but until then, the audience is just as confused as Alice.

The acting in the movie was phenomenal as well. Pugh stood out as an amazing actress and brought so much emotion to the film. A highlight was towards the end of the movie when Jack betrayed her trust. She truly appeared to be distraught and it was very captivating. Chris Pine was also wonderful and succeeded in portraying a very menacing character that helped make the movie even more thrilling.

Despite having a great plot and wonderful acting, many complaints have arisen. My main issue with the movie is the resolution. Although the entire plot was developed wonderfully and the climax was good as well, the ending lacked the closure that viewers expected. I’m all for interpretive endings, but the ending of “Don’t Worry Darling” was almost too interpretive, leaving many questions unanswered and many plot lines unresolved. I wish there had been more clarification to wrap everything up. It almost seemed like the potential of such an interesting storyline was wasted.

However, many of the reviews for this movie are harsher than needed, most likely because of the drama between Wilde and Styles. The two began dating in January 2021, sparking many rumors of cheating and PR stunts over the course of their relationship. In addition to this, Styles’ career as a popular music artist has made many people less inclined to see him star in movies. Although the movie received a 75% rating from the audience and a whopping 39% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, I enjoyed the movie. Even though it had a disappointing ending, I would recommend it to anyone looking to watch a psychological thriller.