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Toward the end of last year Olivia Wilde made a surprise appearance as legendary cinematic spectre Gozer in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Now ten months later she has once again been painted as a bit of a monster in a way no one expected thanks to some nasty web chatter about her behaviour on the set of this, her second film as a director, and some rumours about a possible falling out with her star Florence Pugh. Normally I’d have nothing to say on this but coincidentally this treatment of her by a toxic, probably predominantly male, contingent on the internet does have parallels with the theme of this movie. Irrelevant of any small thing Wilde may have done to fuel the speculation, it does read as though some people are unfairly trying to put this woman back in her place and are suggesting it is her fault not theirs that this is happening. Don’t Worry Darling tells a story of a traditional, antiquated male dominated community apparently benevolently caring for women while actually keeping them suppressed and very much out of their professional endeavours. All of the husbands in the 50s town that this story is set in are complicit in a society that raises them above their spouses and belittles the women’s skills and intelligence. These wives are allowed agency but only as long as it doesn’t eclipse or challenge the men. You can see the parallels. Read what you will into the fact that Wilde’s relationship with her own partner Jason Sudeikis broke down just as she was being celebrated for her first directorial feature Booksmart, and then she was publicly served child custody papers from him while on stage presenting this film at CinemaCon, undermining what should have been a celebration of her professional achievements.

Taking Don’t Worry Darling on its own merits, away from the petty gossip (which I suspect many commentators haven’t) it is a beautifully shot and tightly constructed feminist thriller. Its use of location and characterisation is excellent and it keeps you gripped as to what the secrets are that are being kept from Pugh’s Alice. Yes, it does all wrap up a little quickly once the truth is revealed and there are unanswered questions left hanging at the end but you never lose interest in the narrative or Alice’s fight to reach her potential and make her own choices. Pop superstar Harry Styles has also faced some criticism for his performance (he is Olivia Wilde’s new partner and ten years her junior – make connections here if you want to) but he is good opposite Pugh. After this and Dunkirk he should have a quality movie career ahead of him (if people will just allow it).

I don’t want say too much more about the film, and certainly not about the chatter surrounding it, but there are treats here that should be discovered fresh. The plot details that come after the reveal may not survive scrutiny but those that happen before do fit with what follows and the film provides a captivating two hours in the cinema. I strongly recommend it.

Don’t Worry Darling may not be as good as Booksmart but lightening struck on that wonderful little movie and this is still a really strong follow up. What I really admire is how different it is; Wilde has gone in a totally different direction and has shown herself to be a varied and skilled film maker. This is no weak sophomore effort, it is an ambitious and sophisticated mixed genre piece from a key new cinematic voice and my focus is on what she does next, not what inconsequential things she might or might not have done before.

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