'Do not Fear Darling' is not nearly as good as all of the off-screen drama surrounding it

Owing a non secular debt to "The Stepford Wives" with its rigorously manicured picture of suburbia, there are many more moderen factors of comparability as effectively, such because the George Clooney-directed "Suburbicon." There's even a dollop of "Edward Scissorhands" within the pastel imaginative and prescient of an ideal cul de sac the place the menfolk drive single file to work whereas their wives dutifully wave goodbye.

Alice (Pugh) and her husband Jack (Harry Kinds) seem like dwelling the dream, partying laborious together with his coworkers within the Nineteen Fifties-style deliberate group the place all of them reside. The 2 are insanely sizzling for one another, virtually sickeningly so to listen to Alice's pal Bunny (performed by Wilde) inform it.

Wanting nearer, although, all of it appears a little bit too good, and thus suspicious, starting with the truth that no one will clarify what precisely it's they do working for one thing referred to as the Victory Challenge. There's additionally a cult-like devotion to the boss, Frank (Chris Pine, like Pugh, a reduce above the fabric), who will get his fees to enthusiastically embrace that they are "altering the world."

If the purpose is a form of happy-talk conformity, that provides strategy to what resembles gaslighting when Alice begins to sense that one thing's unsuitable, fueled by unusual desires, surreal photos and the habits of a neighbor.

Primarily based on a script credited to Shane and Carey Van Dyke (Dick Van Dyke's grandsons) together with "Booksmart's" Katie Silberman, "Do not Fear Darling" stumbles into the inventive lure of following the mannequin of a "The Twilight Zone" episode, simply with out the type of revelation that may elevate it into that collection' extra memorable tier. Whereas the movie has one thing to say about gender politics and misogyny, it isn't articulated effectively sufficient to tell apart itself from any variety of different films.

On condition that, the query posed by the New York Instances concerning the controversy concerning the off-screen relationships -- "Will the Spiraling Publicity Hurt 'Do not Fear Darling' on the Field Workplace?" -- appears exactly the other way up; moderately, the true challenge is whether or not that curiosity, together with the Zapruder film-like evaluation of the celebs on the Venice Movie Competition premiere, can spur curiosity in an in any other case nondescript film? (The movie is being launched by Warner Bros., like Muricas News, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Virtually talking, regardless of the warmth surrounding Kinds as he steps up his appearing profession, the first draw must be Pugh, whose rising profile -- with an Oscar nomination for "Little Ladies," "Black Widow" and the upcoming "Dune" -- will see her in one other film, "Marvel," come November.

After Wilde's spectacular debut, there's invariably anticipation to see if a filmmaker can pull off one other success. By that measure "Do not Fear Darling" feels extra like a modest setback than a serious disappointment, however in the end, it is laborious to name this undertaking as a victory.

"Do not Fear Darling" premieres in US theaters on September 23. It is rated R. The movie is distributed by Warner Bros. Studios, which like Muricas News is a part of Warner Bros. Discovery.