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When I search up 'Don't Worry Darling rating,' there's half a bar on five stars and the other half on one. Why such a drastic difference? Other than Olivia Wilde being a terrible producer, the film portrays several subjects intertwined with momentous social movements. It displays topics such as feminism (i.e. illustrating the utopian lives of men in the 1950s) and the infamous Metaverse twisted with the question of humanity.
As the movie begins, Alice Chambers (played by Florence Pugh) is the "perfect wife" for Jack Chambers, the husband. Alice makes breakfast every morning, kisses Jack goodbye, cleans the house, reads, and gossip with her girlfriends. In fact, Alice Chambers is just a bundle of female stereotypes that the feminist movement has been fighting to break for decades. The campaign reaches women around the globe, inspiring them to choose their own lives. Quoting Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, they sing, "I don't cook, I don't clean..." But what's Alice in Don't Worry Darling doing? She only cooks, and she only sings. The movie re-surfaces women's lives in the 1950s and the struggles many women still face in the status quo. The first 60 minutes of the film bring women to the edge of their seats, on the brink of falling into a black pit of misogynists. The audience eventually lets out a sigh when Alice comes to her senses about her life and starts to defy men around her. Alice driving her car to escape her toxic life draws a parallel to women trying to escape the social norms set for them by men. The mass attraction Don't Worry Darling gains provides a stage in which feminism can shine brighter. A stage in which the male audience can chant, "we don't expect you to cook and clean, you have power, and you have the choice."
Not only does the topic of feminism takes a central stage in Don't Worry Darling, but the controversial issue of the Metaverse also arises. The shocking twist at the end of the film, where it's revealed that Alice was drugged by her husband and entrapped into a Metaverse, The Victory Project, leads her to forget her real identity. Beyond this movie, many argue that the Metaverse is the next step toward technological innovation, while others question the ethics of the Metaverse itself. The ethics are directly questioned in the movie when Alice's friend can commit suicide and actively inflict harm on others. The authenticity of The Victory Project also blurs the line between what's real and fake, leading to Alice forgetting her existence on earth. Although the Metaverse is not established today, the movies haunting illustration of what it might look like taunts many. Further raising the debate and controversy of the Metaverse.
To all struggling women out there, don't worry darling, the film has you covered. At the same time, Don't Worry Darling opened the curtains, even more, revealing the problems surrounding Metaverse. The movie's assortment of topics triggers interest and enthusiasm among the audience, and it certainly did for me.
Credits
Written by Ida Joung
Edited by Caridee Chau
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