‘Don’t Worry Darling’s Shocking Ending: Those Insane Twists & Turns Explained
The ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ behind-the-scenes drama has kept us all intrigued. The movie itself featured its own drama and jaw-dropping twists. Let’s break it all down. SPOILERS!
Don’t Worry Darling completely captivated the internet in the weeks leading up to the film’s September 23 release. The behind-the-scenes drama dominated the news cycle as fans awaited being able to see the film for themselves. Olivia Wilde’s latest directorial feature had plenty of twists and turns just like the movie’s press tour.
When the film begins, Jack and Alice Chambers, played by Harry Styles and Florence Pugh, are living a seemingly perfect life in Victory, a utopian-esque community in the middle of the desert. The men go to work, while the women stay at home and keep house like something out of a 1950s sitcom.
As Alice begins to unravel the mystery of the Victory Project, she starts to ask questions no one wants to answer. How did they get here? Why are they here? The answers to those questions are more horrifying than anything Alice could have ever imagined.
Don’t Worry Darling Twists
Turns out, Jack is a really terrible husband. After Alice demands answers from Victory Project leader Frank (Chris Pine) at a dinner party, Jack has Alice taken away to undergo electroshock therapy. His desperation to keep his Victory life intact is his undoing. The electroshock therapy allows Alice to remember her life before Victory.
Alice was a hard-working surgeon, while an unemployed Jack wallowed at home. From the looks of it, Jack and Alice were on the outs. Jack started falling down the rabbit hole by listening to Frank’s videos online. He drank Frank’s Kool-aid and then some. Jack’s insecurities led him to Victory, just like Frank intended.
Back at Victory, Alice returns home after some time away. Jack thinks everything is fine. As she prepares dinner for them, Jack begins singing their lullaby. This triggers Alice’s memory once again, and she confronts Jack about everything.
After being chosen by Frank to be a part of the Victory Project, Jack essentially kidnaps Alice in their own home. He had her strapped down to the bed, hooked up to a machine, and her eyes forced open. Victory isn’t real at all. It’s just a simulation.
Don’t Worry Darling Ending Explained
When Alice learns the truth, she is furious with Jack. He claims he did this for them. Alice cries that he chose a new life for himself and stole hers. “You took my life,” she says to Jack. He admits that he was frustrated by her working all the time. Jack gaslights Alice and tells her that she’s “lucky” to be able to stay at home. The audacity!
All the wives in Victory are trapped. The kids? They aren’t real. When Jack tries to force himself on Alice, she kills him. Alice wakes up sometime later covered in his blood. Bunny, played by Olivia, comes by the house and has even more answers. If a man dies in the simulation, he dies in the real world. While most of the wives are trapped, Bunny has known the truth the whole time. She chose to be a part of the Victory Project because she could still have her kids.
Bunny urges Alice to run before Frank has her killed. As Alice leaves, the other wives begin to wake up to the truth. Frank’s wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan), goes so far as to murder her husband. “It’s my turn now,” Shelley says after plunging the knife into Frank’s chest.
Alice makes a run for it and makes it to Victory headquarters. Frank’s men are close to reaching her when she puts her hands on the headquarters window. Suddenly, the film fades to black. You hear Alice take a deep breath, finally waking up from her Victory nightmare.