It’s a film mired in controversy, making headlines for all the wrong reasons, with rumors of bitter on-set rifts between Wilde and the film’s star Florence Pugh. But before we delve into all that, here’s everything you need to know about the film itself.

What’s up with the drama between the cast?

Where do I start? Don’t Worry Darling is a film mired in controversy, from many angles. Let’s start with Shia LaBeouf. LaBeouf was originally cast as the main character Jack Chambers, but was quickly fired by Wilde and replaced by pop star Harry Styles after reported conflicts on set. Wilde discussed LaBeouf in a Variety profile. “His process was not conducive to the ethos I require in my productions,” Wilde explained. “It has a process that, in some ways, seems to require combative energy, and I personally don’t think it’s conducive to the best performances. I think creating a safe environment of trust is the best way to get people to do their best.” . People are obsessed with the “drama” behind the scenes of Don’t Worry Darling. Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images LaBeouf in turn claims he wasn’t fired, but resigned, and sent Variety a video message from Wilde in which he appears to ask LaBeouf to return to the set because she wasn’t “ready to call it quits yet.” In the message Wilde appears to refer to a conflict with Pugh: “You know, I think this might be a little bit of an awakening for Miss Flo,” Wilde says in the video, “and I want to know if you’re ready to do it with me, with us. If she’s really committed, if she’s really put her mind and heart into it at this point and if you can make peace — and I respect your opinion, I respect hers — but if you can do it, what do you think ?” This led to people on the Internet spiraling about a rumored rift between Wilde and Pugh. There are thousands of tweets and a wide online conversation with fans analyzing and agonizing over social media posts, body language in group shots, and eye contact (or lack thereof). Wilde was asked about the rumored rift at a press conference for Don’t Worry Darling ahead of its screening at the Venice Film Festival. “I can’t say enough about the honor of having her as our leader,” Wilde said. “She’s amazing in the movie and as for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute, I think it feeds itself pretty well.”

‘Spitgate’ has the internet salivating

But on Monday the internet went wild over all the interactions between cast members at the film’s Venice Film Festival press conference and screening. People are talking about the lesser interaction between the stars of the film, from the row of seats, to the reactions to questions at the press conference. Social media is breaking out over a crazy theory: that Harry Styles secretly spat on his co-star Chris Pine before the film was screened at the film festival. Ok with this enhanced video… YOU CAN’T TELL ME HARRY STYLES DIDN’T SPIT ON CHRIS PINE 🤣🤣 Harry’s mouth movement and Chris’s reaction WHAT’S GOING ON 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/VAthKyRxiF — Ethan Cole (@itsethancole) September 6, 2022 People watch this short video with a fine-toothed comb. After careful consideration, I am absolutely of the opinion that Styles didn’t spit on Pine because that would be crazy. And on Tuesday, a Pine spokesman called the spat saga “a complete fabrication and the result of a bizarre online illusion that clearly deceives and allows for foolish speculation.” In a statement provided to People, the rep added that “there is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion to the contrary is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.” There are other elements to the story. A relationship between Styles and Wilde is said to have started during the filming of Don’t Worry Darling. Wilde was previously married to Ted Lasso co-star Jason Sudeikis and was recently served with custody papers live on stage at Cinema-Con in Las Vegas.

What is Don’t Worry Darling?

Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological thriller set in the 1950s. Jack Chambers (played by the very popular singer Harry Styles) lives with his wife Alice (played by Pugh) in a company town in California. A mystery unfolds when Alice begins to investigate the company her husband works for. Her investigation into the company’s “Victory Project” begins to tear at the fabric of their happily ever after.

When can I watch Don’t Worry Darling?

Don’t Worry Darling just debuted at the Venice Film Festival, but won’t be available to watch in the US until September 23rd.

What are the movie reviews saying?

Early reviews for the film have been mixed so far. At the time of writing, the film sits at 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49 on CNET’s sister site Metacritic. These are low scores, especially when you consider that Wilde’s first film, Booksmart, released in 2019, was universally adored by critics. Most reviews seem to find the film a little underwhelming. Critic Hannah Strong called it “rather stilted and unimaginative”, and Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times said its failure is “primarily a failure of imagination”. It is worth noting, however, that the film received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and that Florence Pugh’s performance in the film has been praised by critics and those who watched the film at the festival.

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