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Dont Worry Darling Ending Explained and Plot Explained

Don't Worry Darling is a psychological thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde, and its complex plot has left many viewers with questions about the ending. A Don't Worry Darling Ending Explained guide seeks to provide clarity and context for the film's conclusion, exploring the symbolism, themes, and character arcs.

Don't Worry Darling

Warner Bros. Pictures released Don't Worry Darling in the United States on September 23, 2022, after it premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 5. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise given to Florence Pugh's performance, cinematography, and production design. However, the screenplay and direction were criticised, and the film was noted to have similarities to other works in the genre like The Stepford Wives (1975) and Get Out (2017). Despite the mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing $87 million against a budget of $35 million.

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After the positive reception of Olivia Wilde's first film as director, "Booksmart," in 2019, multiple studios engaged in a bidding war to secure the rights to her second movie. Eventually, New Line Cinema emerged as the winner. Florence Pugh was cast in the movie in April 2020, and Harry Styles joined the cast in September of the same year, replacing Shia LaBeouf. Filming commenced in Los Angeles in October 2020 and continued until February 2021. The movie garnered significant media attention and controversy, including conflicting reports regarding LaBeouf's exit from the project and alleged disagreements between Wilde and Pugh.

Don't Worry Darling Ending Explained

In the movie, "Don't Worry Darling," Alice kills Jack during a confrontation, and Bunny discovers their secret. Bunny reveals that she and her husband live in the community voluntarily so she can be with her children, who died in the real world. She warns Alice to leave before Frank and his minions kill her. Shelly ends up killing Frank, but the men in red coats are still after Alice. She steals a car and drives to a dome-like building, where she presses her hands on the glass doors, and the screen goes black. It's unclear if Alice is alive or wakes up next to her dead husband. The movie raises questions about the reality of the plane Alice saw, the fate of women who die in Victory, and the future of the community after Frank's death. The film explores themes of gender roles, paranoia, and the American dream. Alice's character faces a symbolic glass ceiling, and the dialogue references gaslighting. Despite the beautiful visuals, the movie is not thorough enough and has too many inconsistencies to be a truly dynamic watch. However, watching it again at home may reveal missing clues to solve the unanswered mysteries.

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Don't Worry Darling Plot Explained

Alice and Jack Chambers live in Victory, a company town in California where the men leave every day to work at Victory Headquarters in the surrounding desert. The wives are expected to stay in the town, and Alice's friend Margaret has become an outcast after taking her son into the desert, resulting in his apparent death. Alice attends a party hosted by the town's enigmatic founder, Frank, where she sees Margaret's husband attempt to give her medication after an outburst. Alice engages in a sexual act with Jack in Frank's bedroom and notices him watching them.

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One day, Alice sees a plane crash in the desert and rushes to help. She stumbles onto Victory Headquarters and experiences surreal hallucinations before waking up at home that night. Alice receives a phone call from Margaret, who claims to have seen the same thing. After rebuffing her, Alice witnesses Margaret slit her own throat and is dragged away by men in red jumpsuits working for Frank. Jack dismisses Alice's claims and says Margaret is simply recovering from a household accident, but Alice becomes increasingly paranoid. During a company celebration, Alice breaks down in the bathroom and attempts to explain everything to her friend Bunny. Bunny accuses Alice of jeopardising Victory and urges her to flee before Frank and his minions kill her.

Alice and Jack invite their friends to dinner, with Frank and his wife Shelley as special guests. In private, Frank confirms Alice's suspicions and says he hopes she continues to challenge him. Alice attempts to expose Frank over dinner, but he gaslights her, making her seem delusional to the other guests. Alice begs Jack to leave Victory, but he has her taken away by Frank's men. Dr. Collins forces Alice to undergo electroshock therapy, during which she sees visions of herself in the present day, struggling to make ends meet as a surgeon and living with the unemployed and disgruntled Jack.

Alice returns home to Victory and resumes her normal life, but comes to realize the visions are her real memories. Jack admits the truth: Victory is a simulated world created by Frank, where the men lead their version of perfect lives, and the women are unaware that their lives, children, and Victory itself do not exist. Jack argues that Alice was miserable with their real lives, and now they can both be happy, but she is furious he effectively imprisoned her. Jack begs for forgiveness, forcefully holding on to Alice until she fatally strikes him with a rocks glass, killing both his simulated and real selves. Bunny reveals that she has always known Victory was a simulation but chose to stay to be with her children, who died in real life.

She tells Alice to flee, or else Frank and his minions will kill her. Alice steals a car and drives through the desert to the dome-like building, where she presses her hands on the glass doors, and the screen goes black. It is unclear if Alice is alive or if she wakes up next to the corpse of her once-beloved husband. The film leaves unanswered questions about the reality of the plane Alice saw, what happens to women who die in Victory, and the fate of Victory after Frank's death.

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Don't Worry Darling Ending Explained-FAQs

1. When did Don't Worry Darling premiere and where was it released?  

Don't Worry Darling premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on September 23, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

2. How did critics receive the film?  

The film received mixed reviews from critics. While Pugh's performance, the cinematography, and production design were praised, the screenplay and direction were criticized.

3. What was the budget for Don't Worry Darling?  

The budget for Don't Worry Darling was $35 million.

4. How much money did the film make at the box office?  

The film was a commercial success, grossing $87 million.

5. Were there any controversies surrounding the film?  

Yes, the film was the subject of media attention and controversy, including conflicting reports regarding the circumstances of Shia LaBeouf's departure from the film and alleged conflicts between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh.

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Lorie Orum

Update: 2024-05-08