#165 - Don’t Worry Darling | Directed by Olivia Wilde (with Anna)

2 Cents Critic

Tune in as Arthur’s buddy Anna hops back onto the program for a deep dive into Don’t Worry Darling, the 2022 psychological thriller that had been swamped in a notorious wave of media frenzy (remember the spit mystery, anyone?). But once you dig past the Hollywood hubbub, what do you get with this mindfuck-lite trip through a 1950s desert-set company town whose vision of idyllic suburbia just may be hiding dark secrets beneath the surface? Along with unpacking all of that on this episode, the discussion covers rom-com chatter that ranges from Anna’s Isn’t It Romantic-related story to the hosts’ shared take that Set It Up is enjoyable enough while being overrated, Anna’s numerous imitations of Harry Styles’s “our life together” line, Arthur’s hatred for the Wicked trailer, and interesting material from both the spec script and the revised script that had ultimately been left out of DWD (perhaps to its detriment).

Directed by Olivia Wilde, Don’t Worry Darling stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, KiKi Layne, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Sydney Chandler, Kate Berlant, Asif Ali, Douglas Smith, Timothy Simons, Ari’el Stachel, Steve Berg, and Dita Von Teese.

Spoilers start at 34:20

Sources:

• The original spec script for DWD by Carey and Shane Van Dyke: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cEj46v50wsdHPLKBkOIsFlTN7XLXNcfd/view

• The revised 2020 script for DWD by the Van Dyke brothers, with revisions by Katie Silberman: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_aoaX__YIKG29gZqbvYWJFZfI-zMG4Hi/view

• DON'T WORRY DARLING is Total Mess | Explained [by Amanda the Jedi]: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mbiiSsLi4o4&t=1399s&pp=ygUZZG9udCB3b3JyeSBkYXJsaW5nIGFtYW5kYQ%3D%3D

Here’s how you can learn more about Palestine and Israel: http://decolonizepalestine.com

Here’s how you can act to help stop Israel’s genocide of Palestine: http://linktr.ee/savegaza

Here’s how you can send eSIM cards to Palestinians in order to help them stay connected online: https://www.gazaesims.com

Good Word:

• Anna: Made for Love (Max)

• Arthur: the Alter horror shorts “La Noria” (AKA “The Wheel” on Letterboxd), “The Microscope,” and “Emptied”

“La Noria” – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=omsgfpbUrmA&t=347s&pp=ygUIbGEgbm9yaWE%3D

“The Microscope” – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncwb6tvRc04&pp=ygUQTWljcm9zY29wZSBzaG9ydA%3D%3D

“Emptied” – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9BxEtlNeE&pp=ygUSZW1wdGllZCBzaG9ydCBmaWxt

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