The trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema’s upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling has just dropped, and certain scenes of the hot and steamy variety leave almost nothing to the imagination.
Yet in less than 3 minutes, what initially feels like a historical romance film with risque scenes escalates to reveal a psychological thriller that questions life while still pushing for truth and survival.
A lingering sense of confusion may remain after an initial viewing of the trailer, and while rewatching the trailer may fill some of the mental gaps, reading the synopsis for the film will definitely provide clarity to the film’s plot.
“Everyone is acting like I’m crazy, and I’m not crazy.”
Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
By this point, it seems that the film will challenge ideas about constructed utopias, what utopian life may look like, and the consequences that may be lying in wait.
With a star-studded cast including the film’s director Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Harry Styles (The Eternals), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians, The Eternals), and Chris Pine (Wonder Woman), this is a feature to look forward to later this year.
Don’t Worry Darling is out in theaters September 23.
