Don’t worry my love ★★½
THRILLER (2022)
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
InterpretationsCast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde’s film comments on the systems of control that wealthy societies often carefully hide under the surface of abundance.

After the entertaining Booksmart, Olivia Wilde continues her directing career, this time deciding to dive into deeper waters in terms of the theme and scope of her film. The main characters here are Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles), a young couple who move to an idyllic gated community somewhere in 1950s California.

Like the rest of the residents, Jack works on an experimental top-secret project that is hinted to be related to national security, while the local women spend their time somewhere between housework and lavishly consuming cocktails. All this until Alice realizes that something very dark is hiding behind a seemingly impeccable community, and she sets out to bring it to light.

Wilde’s film could also be one of the (good) TV Black Mirror episodes in the way it builds its inevitable dystopia. The latter, of course, is covered with a terribly sunny, colorful and shiny wrapper that captures the viewer’s eye from the very first minutes. The photographs are truly impressive, as are the elaborate sets, vintage clothing, and vintage cars. On the other hand, the movement of the camera, continuous and from different angles, is somewhat exaggerated and at times just looks far-fetched.

But getting back to the subject, it is clear that it is primarily about the systems of control that rich societies often carefully hide under the surface of abundance. One of them, since we are also talking about the 50s, is naturally related to the position of women, an issue that is obviously commented on and emphasized in every possible way, at least until the moment when the film begins and becomes clear. thriller size. From this point on, everything becomes more and more predictable to the unsuspecting viewer.

Finally, something should be said about the main duet. The ever-rising Florence Pugh (Midsummer) here again does a very good job as Alice, a young woman who finds the courage to destroy (literally) heaven, while the presence of pop star Harry Styles is also positively reminiscent in appearance images of movie stars of the past.