Don’t Worry Darling: SHS Student’s Perspective

The thriller/mystery movie Don’t Worry Darling, released on September 23rd, sparked quite an uprising in the media even before it opened. Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh, and Harry Styles, the movie’s well-known cast brought attention to the film far before it was released. 

 Shia LaBeouf originally played the role of Jack Chambers, now filled by Styles. There was great controversy about why he wasn’t in the movie anymore. LaBeouf has been accused of multiple accounts of sexual assault and abuse to past partners. Many hope that director Wilde took action after catching word and fired him from the set out of respect for not only the survivors but actors on set, specifically his love interest in the film, Alice Chambers, who is played by Florence Pugh. Recently, movie directors have hired intimacy coordinators to make sure the often graphic and intimate scenes can happen in a safe environment where everyone feels respected. 

A video released by LaBeouf of Wilde contradicting her vague reasoning for letting him go led people to believe it was for the right reasons. However, it was later revealed that LaBeouf was not fired and left the movie for scheduling conflicts and his “combative energy” toward Wilde. 

Speculations about what was going on behind the filming scenes grew when Olivia Wilde filed for a sudden divorce from filmmaker Tao Ruspoli. Wilde was spotted out with Styles in a romantic manner in September 2020 during the filming. 

As promotion for the movie started over the summer before it was released, more and more rumors circulated about the cast. This was one of the first times in pop culture we’ve seen such talk about the filming of a movie and its drama. People started to speculate that Florence Pugh and Harry Styles originally were romantic and that led to her breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Zach Braff. 

At the Venice Film Festival, we were able to see the cast and their very awkward interactions with one another. There appeared to be tension between Pugh and Wilde. 

After all the talk before the movie had come out, Wilde felt that since it was women-directed, people refused to focus on the actual movie and what it was about and instead looked into her love life. 

After watching the movie written by Kate Silberman, I interviewed two Scituate High students who also watched the movie. Many people thought the film only got good reviews because of Style’s following and relationship with Wilde. I asked one student who is a fan, and one who is not about their thoughts on the film. 

SHS senior Freja Haley, who is “not really” a fan of Harry Styles, described the film as “a little spooky” but liked it. Haley had no prior knowledge about the drama with the cast and explained that she “watched the movie because it was suggested by a friend” but is glad she watched. 

SHS senior Maggie Fontes, who says she is a “huge fan of Harry Styles” and watched the movie in the theater, explained that she went into the theater expecting a predictable movie but “left being surprised” with its ending. Fontes was aware of the drama that circled the set. After watching the movie and being pleasantly surprised, Fontes continued to recommend the movie to others.