“Don’t Worry Darling” captivates viewers with top-tier cinematography but lacks in development and acting. 

The film stars Florence Pugh as the main character Alice, Harry Styles as Alice’s husband Jack and Chris Pine as Frank, the head of the Victory project. It is directed by Olivia Wilde, who also plays the supporting role of Bunny, Alice’s best friend. 

Set in a classic 1950’s cookie-cutter world, known as the community of Victory, bright colors, warm moods and idealized life dominate the scenes, contrasted with cut scenes of chaos and dark colors. It follows Alice on her journey to discover the truth about the Victory project.

The mood is effectively established through the cinematography, the use of reflections, cut scenes and camera angles which leave the viewer filled with a mix of comfort and anxiety. The viewer is left to question the reality of the film. 

Dont Worry Darling created the “perfect world” expertly. It presents an idyllic life-style through a combination of colorful and symmetrical sets displayed throughout the film.

The acting was underwhelming compared to what I expected out of Pugh and Styles, while Pine effectively filled his role. 

Pugh’s efforts to convey emotion through her character were lacking in depth, comparatively to one of her previous films “Midsommar.” Similarly in this film, I found it hard to submerge myself into her character’s emotion and take it seriously. 

On the other hand, Styles is somewhat early in his acting career and it clearly shows in this film. At times, his acting was almost comical in serious scenes. The chemistry between Alice and Jack was missing, but could have been on purpose for the sake of the plot.

Pine perfectly executed his role, creating a mysterious yet charming persona. The cult-leader energy he exuded was well-developed and successfully drew me into his character. Without Pine, the movie would have tremendously lacked in seriousness and mood. 

Failing to capitalize on such a captivating story line, the film took way too long to reach answers for the viewers’ questions when it could have created a stronger plot and characters. 

Throughout the film, viewers know something is off, but it is almost impossible to put your finger on exactly what is wrong. Slowly — very slowly — bits of information are presented, but it’s a mystery as to what it is. In the last 20 minutes, it is finally revealed, leaving most of the movie anticlimactic. 

“Don’t Worry Darling” was released Sept. 23 and is currently in theaters.