Tron star Olivia Wilde has recently taken a different career direction to show audiences that she’s much more than a film star. Her directorial debut came in 2019 with the release of the coming-of-age comedy Booksmart. Since then, the actress-turned-director has come out publicly to explain her new direction and highlight her feelings about the world of directing. Her latest venture sees Wilde direct and star in her very first dark thriller, Don’t Worry Darling. The 1950s-based film follows the story of a young couple who move into a seemingly perfect suburbia under a corporation that promises great things. However, nothing is as it seems in this cult-like community as the film’s lead, Alice (Florence Pugh) soon discovers.
The cast of the film has already been widely praised, not only by Wilde but also by general audiences. Many were ecstatic at the news of musical sensation Harry Styles leading the feature beside some pretty big Hollywood names such as Gemma Chan and Florence Pugh. However, some slammed the film prior to its release. This could have been pinned down to Styles and Wilde’s romantic relationship and how the film fueled this. Despite this, the majority of fans and audiences continue to express their bubbling excitement for the film and, specifically, Styles in one of the leading roles. So let’s take a look at everything we know about Styles’ involvement in Don’t Worry Darling.
8 This Will Be The Harry Styles’ Third Acting Role
Back in 2017, the multifaceted Englishman shocked audiences worldwide when he appeared in the critically acclaimed feature, Dunkirk. In the film, he portrayed the role of Alex, a British soldier saved by the film’s lead, Tommy Jensen, portrayed by Fionn Whitehead. The Christopher Nolan feature marked Styles’ debut performance on screen and opened up a whole new area for the talented musician to flourish. However, Styles did not seem to be all that keen to pursue that career path as 4 years passed before fans saw the musician on screen again. In 2021, Styles appeared briefly in the post-credit scene of Marvel’s Eternals, in which he portrayed the role of Eros. Don’t Worry Darling will be the star’s third acting credit of his career and his first-ever on-screen leading role.
7 The Role Harry Styles Will Be Portraying In 'Don’t Worry Darling'
In the film, Styles will be portraying the role of Jack. As the film follows a disturbing and psychological genre, fans will undoubtedly begin to question Styles’ Jack as he becomes more and more entwined with the corporation he works under, AKA the “Victory Project.”
6 'Don't Worry Darling' Is An Homage To Hollywood Psychological Thrillers
According to The Times, the film’s director herself, Olivia Wilde, spoke up about these themes that the film will explore and highlighted how the feature had been her homage to some of the biggest psychological thrillers of all time.
Wilde then went on to further tease the film and its narrative by stating, “Imagine a life where you could have anything you ever wanted, not just the tangible things … but also the things that really matter — true love with the perfect partner, real trusted friendships. What would it take for you to give up that perfect life? What are you willing to sacrifice to do what’s right? Are you willing to dismantle the system that is designed to serve you?”
5 His Role In The Film Pushed Styles Way Out Of His Comfort Zone
As previously stated, his leading role as Jack in Don’t Worry Darling marks Styles’ third on-screen acting role ever. Because of this, it is easy to see why the musician may have felt slightly nervous to bring the character to life. During an interview with Capital FM, Styles himself spoke up about this as he stated how the role had pushed him way out of his comfort zone.
Styles stated, “I think I’m a musician first. I feel really lucky to get to do a job that I love, and then I feel very grateful to have been able to explore acting,” Before later adding, “In this context, it’s been a really nice opportunity for me to be able to get very much out of my comfort zone.”
4 Styles Himself Teased The NSFW Nature Of The Film
As the interview progressed, the show’s host Roman Kemp continued to ask Styles about his acting career and more specifically about Don’t Worry Darling. The 29-year-old radio DJ pointed out how the film seemed to be very explicit, as many fans also noted upon the release of the trailer, and so jokingly asked Styles if it would be a film suitable to watch with his mother. In response to this, Styles bashfully admitted that both Don’t Worry Darling and his other upcoming project My Policeman were probably not films that one should watch with their parents present.
3 This Is How He Maneuvered His First Sex Scene
However, as the topic of the NSFW film and its raunchier scenes continued to be explored during the Capital FM interview, Styles opened up as to what it had been like professionally to film his very first sex scene.
Styles stated, “I think it depends very much on who you're working with and what the situation is, all I can say from my own experience is that I was very lucky to have a very trusting relationship within the people we were working with and that kind of came first.”
2 Fans Are Obsessed With His Chemistry With His Leading Co-Star
As fans anticipate the release of the dark thriller, many are also overwhelmed with excitement to see not only Styles but also Marvel star Florence Pugh as the film’s lead. The 26-year-old actress has recently seen great levels of success and praise for her work after having given stellar performances in films such as Little Women, Midsommar, and Black Widow. It seems as though the pairing of the adored musician and the breakthrough actress has sent fans into a meltdown as, upon the film’s trailer release, many took to Twitter to express their admiration.
For example, one Twitter user stated, “how. are. we. gonna. survive. florence pugh. and. harry styles. together. on. the. big. screen. PASS ME THE FIRST AID KIT.”
1 But Styles And Pugh Aren’t The Only Famous Faces To Appear In The Film
However, Styles and Pugh aren’t the only cast members to be getting praise and recognition. Don’t Worry Darling includes a cast full of famous and widely adored faces such as Styles’ fellow Eternals co-star Gemma Chan and Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pine as the film’s lead antagonist. Don't Worry Darling’s very own director Olivia Wilde also appears in the film as Alice’s (Pugh) shady neighbor, Mary.