Lisa Johnson Mandell’s positive Don’t Worry Darling review says it’s a riveting psychological thriller in lovely, lush and lascivious wrapping.

Don’t Worry Darling has had so many rumors swirling around it that it’s almost impossible to separate the drama off screen from the drama on screen. While that, and Harry Styles’ lusty and intrepid fan base, will contribute to the box office draw of the film, make no mistake about it. Don’t Worry Darling stands firmly on its own shapely legs.

We’ve seen ominous domestic utopias before, but not with director/producer/star Olivia Wilde’s unique, sumptuous and acerbic vision.

The story is set in Victory,  a planned, spotless, mid-mod desert community where wives clean house, shop, primp and gossip all day, while the men drive off to in their cool cars to a mysterious and nebulous workplace. They are greeted when they come home with a cold drink and the promise of hot sex. It’s the picture of domestic 50’s bliss…or is it?

Alice, gamely played by Florence Pugh, begins to have troubling visions of another life, and she can’t seem to shake them. Is her handsome and adoring husband Jack (Styles) really who he seems? Is anyone in this tight-knit community?

A few words about Styles’ performance:  A lot has been said about it, much of it negative. I would caution the naysayers not to mistake a hollow character for a hollow performance. There is not much substance to Jack until deeply provoked, and Styles adroitly delivers on that. Many will be confused by his glassy-eyed puppet dance, (when you see it, you’ll know it), but if you think of him as a marionette with invisible strings, it all becomes clear.

The rest of the cast is remarkable as well, particularly Chris Pine as the eerie cult-type leader of the community, and Emma Chan as his surprisingly multi-layered wife. You may be debating her character for some time.

And that’s one of the many virtues of Don’t Worry Darling. Instead of spoon feeding us with absolutes, Wilde gives us visions and snapshots, assuming that we’re smart and thoughtful enough to piece it together for ourselves, and derive our own meanings from it.

Perhaps she intended for us to use our own imaginations, and, heaven forbid, leave us hoping for a sequel that will take us further into the story. Hey, if we allow West World to do that, why not give Don’t Worry Darling the same grace?

Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t give due credit to the luscious production design, the compelling score and those period costumes. I lusted after every dress I saw on screen, as well as the ability to apply a flawless cat eye.

The spitting, the firing, the affairs, the tiffs, they’re all just annoying distractions. Pay serious attention to this film and you will be well-rewarded. This dark physiological thriller done in a sparkling rainbow palette will leave you thinking, and possibly smiling, for days.

Rated R

2 Hours 3 Minutes

If this Don’t Worry Darling review sends you racing out the the cineplex, find local times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s positive Don’t Worry Darling review says it’s a riveting psychological thriller in lovely, lush and lascivious wrapping.