Don't Worry Darling

I was already really intrigued by Don't Worry Darling before all of the drama surrounding the production was revealed but I have to admit that it definitely fueled my interest in seeing it!  I had the chance last night and, while there are a few issues, I actually liked it!  Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) and his wife Alice (Florence Pugh) are a young and passionate couple living in a utopian community known as the Victory Project in the middle of the California desert in the 1950s.  Victory is the brainchild of Frank (Chris Pine), a charismatic leader who aspires to make the world a better place, and his supportive wife Shelley (Gemma Chan).  Every day Jack and the rest of the men in Victory, including Dean (Nick Kroll), Peter (Asis Ali), and newcomer Bill (Douglas Smith), leave their well appointed homes for classified work at a secret installation.  Alice and her friends Bunny (Olivia Wilde), Peg (Kate Berlant), Margaret (KiKi Layne), and Violet (Sydney Chandler) happily cook, clean, and care for their husbands (even meeting them at the door with a drink) while their every want and need is fulfilled.  However, their perfect lives are disrupted when Alice ventures into an off-limits area of the desert and then begins questioning what is happening in Victory.  The best part of this movie is Pugh's performance because she is entirely believable as a woman who comes undone while her husband and everyone around her doubt what is happening to her.  Her terror is absolutely palpable.  Pine is also outstanding because he is so creepy, especially in a scene where Alice confronts Frank.  Styles has been much maligned for his performance but I think he is fine and delivers what the character demands (I won't say any more to avoid spoilers).  The visuals are stunning and I loved the stylish 1950s aesthetic in the production design and all of the gorgeous period costumes.  I found the premise, including the twist (which was not what I was expecting), to be interesting and very thought-provoking but my biggest complaint with this movie is that the resolution is rushed and anticlimactic.  I was left with way too many unanswered questions.  It is, however, so much better than I was led to believe based on the discourse coming out of the Venice Film Festival and I think fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy it!