Movie review
September 21, 2022 · 123 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Don't Worry Darling is a 2022 psychological thriller about a housewife in an idealized 1950s company town who starts noticing cracks in the perfect life and uncovers a dark secret. The story follows her growing suspicion that the community hides something sinister controlled by the men in charge. The film presents a clear critique of traditional gender roles and male control over women through its central simulation twist and the protagonist's awakening. Director comments and marketing highlight themes of patriarchy, female empowerment, and questioning complicity in oppressive systems.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Don't Worry Darling.
Woke representation / casting
The main cast fits the story's 1950s white suburban American dream premise with limited supporting diversity (such as KiKi Layne) that aligns naturally without emphasis, swaps, or visible quotas.
Woke political dialogue
Villain speeches push traditional male leadership and control as cult-like rhetoric; the protagonist's rejection of gaslighting and domestic roles carries feminist weight, but stays within thriller storytelling rather than modern lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
The entire premise revolves around men enforcing restrictive gender roles and bodily control over women in a fake 1950s paradise; Alice's escape and awakening form the core feminist arc.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film portrays traditional marriage, suburban domesticity, and male-dominated hierarchies as artificial traps created by insecure men to escape real life; it critiques complicity in upholding patriarchy with post-MeToo resonance.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some reviews and scattered online notes criticize heavy-handed or tacked-on feminist elements and the empowerment twist; however, no widespread right-leaning outrage or dedicated campaigns existed, with attention dominated by production scandals.
Creator track record context
Olivia Wilde shows a consistent pattern of public feminist advocacy and framing work around gender inequality and patriarchy; Katie Silberman has mild progressive leanings in prior comedies; other key crew lack notable activist histories.
Production
