My Writing

Don’t Worry Darling: Silence is Compliance

In September 2022, Don’t Worry Darling was released after months of scandal surrounding the dynamics of actors and director. Olivia Wilde directed the thought provoking story of a society controlled by gaslighting and silence. A peak into the dystopian society leads the viewer to become hynotised with scenarios of the reality. A suffocating woman, pristine household, amazing sex but a hidden truth that ruins the euphoria. 

A unique motif appears throughout the film- silence is compliance. Alice, the main character, has the intuition of a looming darkness. Alice pushes the social norm and asks questions to the most powerful people in the society- men. Men her husband “worked” with. The question most asked by Alice surrounds the ambiguity of that work. From the men- silence. Only questioning her back. In Victory, the town Don’t Worry Darling is set in, the women stay home. They take care of the children, clean the house, do their duty’s of neighbors and women of society. All of the women stayed silent. Compliant enough to enable their husbands to continue whatever work they do. 

While Alice was silent, she wasn’t aware of the darkness in her environment. As she became more confident in her intuition, she became louder and determined to get an answer. After an unsuspecting twist, the audience sees the darkness behind Victory. Don’t Worry Darling is my favorite movie from the past 12 months. I recommend seeing it for yourself and opening your mind to all of the possibie realities of Victory.