Don’t Worry Darling | Title Explanation

In this section of the Colossus Movie Guide for Don’t Worry Darling, we will discuss the meaning behind the movie’s title.

Cast

• Alice – Florence Pugh
• Jack – Harry Styles
• Frank – Chris Pine
• Bunny – Olivia Wilde
• Margaret – KiKi Layne
• Shelley – Gemma Chan
• Dean – Nick Kroll
• Sydney Chandler – Violet
• Peg – Kate Berlant
• Asif Ali – Peter
• Writer – Katie Silberman
• Director – Olivia Wilde

Why is the movie called Don’t Worry Darling?

You can think of the title as a condescending statement toward women. It stems from the age-old phrase, “Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” which, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is meant to be “informally humorous or offensive.” Basically, the phrase dates back to a time (try the 1950s) when women’s only job was to look pretty and not worry about anything “important.” The man is in control, so don’t worry!

You can see how this phrase would apply to Don’t Worry Darling. Alice has visions of a past life and begins to believe something foul is afoot. But every time she tries to broach the subject, she is swiftly denied by her husband. Jack tells her not to worry, that her life is great, that she’s just mentally unstable and needs to calm down.

The Victory Project is secretly a simulation that Alice has been subjected to. Here, she lives a “perfect” 1950s-style life where the male figure provides and all she has to do is upkeep the home. The men, who leave for work each day to work on a secret project, need the women to stay in line and never question the strangeness of their situation. In essence, the entire simulation becomes a representation of the phrase “don’t worry your pretty little head,” as the men stand above the women and force them into silence.

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