“Don’t Worry Darling” (M) ***

THIS is a curate’s egg sort of a movie – some parts good, others less so.

In the Arizona desert town of Victory, a few couples live on a one-road, pastel-coloured cul-de-sac, visually the sort of ’50s Americana that sells the promise of the American Dream, with perfectly manicured lawns, doting wives, and hard-working husbands. 

The darling of the title is housewife Alice (Florence Pugh in a great portrayal) who maintains a clean home, always puts dinner on the table and adores her equally adoring husband Jack whose first thing on getting home from work is to pleasure her with a quick 34½ (ie her half of 69). 

Alice’s neighbour Margaret (KiKi Layne) is convinced Victory husbands are keeping something from their wives, but when Alice starts asking questions, Victory’s facade begins to come undone.

Frank (Chris Pine) leads the town’s men, perfecting the top secret “Victory Project”, which he believes will change the course of history. His progressive thinking dominates the town with mind-control propaganda and an absence of free will.

Director Olivia Wilde and screenwriter Katie Silberman work hard to vigorise a story by Carey and Shane Van Dyke. Alice’s internal psychosis manifests itself in striking visions, rumbling sound design and percussive score, featuring women in distress.

Jack (boy-band-star Harry Styles) delivers under-developed acting skills and gets to sing (about potatoes) and dance a delirious tap dance that looks and feels a tad out of place.

Some of the film’s 123 minutes might have been bypassed without detracting from the drama. Others are plain ill-conceived for reasons that director Wilde (who also plays a supporting role in the Victory community) must bear responsibility. 

And whatever Victory’s men are working on begins and remains an unexplained mystery, which makes the screenplay’s impact a tad less than robust.

At all cinemas