The Florence Pugh Psychological Thriller That’s A Streaming Hit On Netflix

By Sean Thiessen | Published

florence pugh
Florence Pugh in Don’t Worry Darling

If you crave domestic bliss, Don’t Worry Darling is not the movie for you. Florence Pugh and Harry Styles star in this psychological thriller that takes its characters from their idyllic, 1950s-style lives all the way to the edge of a vast conspiracy. Originally released by Warner Bros. in September of 2022, FlixPatrol reports that the film is now streaming in the Netflix top 10.

The best part of Don’t Worry Darling is Florence Pugh’s performance, and now you can see it for yourself on Netflix.

Florence Pugh leads Don’t Worry Darling as Alice, a housewife living in a glimmering, experimental desert community that looks like a painting of a mid-century neighborhood. Her husband is Jack, played by Harry Styles, a sleek and handsome young man who departs each morning for nondescript work and comes home to cocktails, dinners, and his adoring wife.

For the young couple, the neighborhood is paradise – until it’s not. Alice notices strange occurrences around their community and starts to ask questions that no one can answer.

Florence Pugh comes into conflict with Chris Pine, who plays the community’s leader, Frank. Pine gives a chilling performance as a charismatic puppet master of the strange town, and Pugh goes toe to toe with him in her search for truth. The result is explosive, and Alice finds herself falling down a proverbial rabbit hole, questioning every facet of her reality.

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Olivia Wilde and Nick Kroll in Don’t Worry Darling

Director Olivia Wilde unfolds the mystery of Don’t Worry Darling with dazzling style. This picturesque film is styled by the sleek, candy-coated aesthetics of the 1950s and 60s. The beauty and nostalgia of Florence Pugh in classic dresses, old-school cars, and manicured lawns play in sharp contrast to the sinister agenda lurking under the surface.

Don’t Worry Darling grossed over $87 million against its $35 million budget, making it a moderate financial success. Critically, the movie did not fare well, but its popularity was fueled largely by crackling behind-the-scenes drama. Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Olivia Wilde were lambasted by tabloids and internet gossipers in the weeks leading up to the release of Don’t Worry Darling.

Gossip magazines and tabloids had a field day with Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Olivia Wilde on the set of Don’t Worry Darling.

New Line Cinema won a bidding war for Olivia Wilde’s follow-up to her critically acclaimed Booksmart, but it did not take long for the train to derail. Shia LaBeouf was originally cast to star opposite Florence Pugh, but he departed the project and was replaced by Harry Styles. The nature of LaBeouf’s exit has been a point of contention; the actor maintains that he quit the movie, while Olivia Wilde has stated that LaBeouf’s aggressive working process forced her to let him go.

The arrival of Harry Styles was followed by his romantic relationship with Olivia Wilde. Styles attracted a lot of attention for the project, but it was not always the kind the filmmakers wanted. No one had much to say about him playing husband to Florence Pugh in the movie, but the real-life girlfriend was something of note.

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling

Rumors spread like wildfire. The timeline of Wilde’s relationship with Styles and her high-profile split with her partner, Jason Sudeikis, was called into question. Rumors that the couple would disappear from the set without explanation circulated, along with speculation that a feud between Wilde and Florence Pugh had formed.

Before Don’t Worry Darling was even released, it was already a hit. The internet was following the drama on pins and needles for months. Many of the rumors have since been dispelled, with cast and crew members setting the record straight that the alleged on-set tensions purported by tabloids were falsehoods.

Despite the rumors and innuendo, Don’t Worry Darling was a small hit for Florence Pugh, bringing in $87 million, and finding success on streaming.

But the drama did not stop there. Florence Pugh missed a photo shoot with the cast ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but she turned up later for the red carpet. Fans noted Pugh’s body language toward Wilde and an apparent lack of enthusiasm for Don’t Worry Darling, sparking more speculation that the women were at quiet war.

At the premiere, a video that appears to show Harry Styles spitting on Chris Pine was taken and began making the rounds. Both actors dismissed “Spitgate” as ludicrous and moved on with their lives. The relationship between Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde was officially patched up, with Wilde articulating her respect and admiration for Pugh, but many fans still question the legitimacy of the water under their bridge.

Behind-the-scenes drama aside, the real drama of Don’t Worry Darling is in the movie. Florence Pugh delivers a powerhouse performance in this psychological knockout, and Olivia Wilde continues to show that she has a knack for this directing thing. Stream Don’t Worry Darling on Netflix today and discover what’s really going on.