In “Don’t Worry Darling,” Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Gemma Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
For in-depth thoughts on Don’t Worry Darling, please see my colleague Larry Fried’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Don’t Worry Darling offers a lovely uptick in quality over the already capable accompanying Blu-Ray, making it the clear choice between the two home video releases. The bright highlights in the film are more firmly defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The elements in the film taking place in shadow or lower light are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. The handful of instances of compression artifacts and banding present on the Blu-Ray are eliminated with this 4K UHD disc. Skin tones appear very natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. This 4K UHD presentation really knocks it out of the park on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color.
The increased range of the color spectrum is such an asset to this film. The HDR enriches the colors from already impressive to truly mind blowing when it comes to vibrancy. This film features some stunning ‘50s aesthetics that really show off the capabilities of the format with color contrast and striking lighting schemes providing a dazzling spectacle. The precise application of HDR really makes the film pop on the screen. There is some really unique production design featured in the film which you can really appreciate with this transfer. There are distinct landscapes presented here with incredible detail that are exciting to explore. Every setting is handled with impeccable precision which you expect from a modern disc. The Blu-Ray is great, but Warner Bros. has delivered another phenomenal transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a dynamite Dolby Atmos audio mix that is completely enveloping and ready to transport you into this world. This is a surprisingly active track that provides all manner of sound effects and a mix of an original score and memorable soundtrack to immerse you into the setting. There is a surplus of activity in the low end that flows through you in the most effective of ways. Dialogue is crisp and clear and is never suppressed by any competing sounds. There is nearly always something going on in the surrounds, but there is never that much difficulty hearing what any given character is saying. The height channels are used to interesting effect such as a plane flying overhead or some other unsettling moments. All of the sounds are coming from the intended directions, and there are absolutely no technical issues with the track. This one packs a punch thanks to Warner Bros.
Special Features
- The Making Of Don’t Worry Darling: A pretty decent 17-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss what drew them to the project, the themes of the story, what the cast members bring to their characters, the costumes and production design, and more.
- Alice’s Nightmare: A minute-long unused scene is provided here in which Alice has a nightmare about being overtaken by sinister forces.
Final Thoughts
Don’t Worry Darling is an incredibly divisive movie, but much of the negativity aimed at this film has been incredibly hyperbolic. Yes, there are many issues with the film that keep it from being a masterpiece, but it remains an engaging viewing experience despite these issues. Florence Pugh is terrific here, and Harry Styles does not embarrass himself even if he is not close to her level. The film is well constructed on a technical level, and it lines up (mostly) logically even if you might wish it broke out of a familiar mold. The film is ambitious in how it goes about addressing some important themes, and we appreciate what it accomplishes even with some missteps. This movie will not be for everyone, but do not let internet hive-mind and celebrity gossip make up your mind before you have watched it yourself. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a couple of special features.
Don’t Worry Darling will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on November 29, 2022. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.