When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Florence Pugh as Alice and Harry Styles as Jack in “Don’t Worry Darling.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
“Don’t Worry Darling” is now playing exclusively in theaters.
Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine star in the psychological thriller set in the 1950s.
Following its exclusive theatrical window, “Don’t Worry Darling” is expected to stream on HBO Max.
“Don’t Worry Darling,” the highly anticipated psychological thriller, is now playing exclusively in theaters. The movie marks the first leading role for pop star Harry Styles and the second directorial effort from filmmaker Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”). An official streaming release date hasn’t been announced, but the movie is expected to hit HBO Max in the coming months.
“Don’t Worry Darling” tells the story of Alice and Jack Chambers, a young couple in the 1950s who live in the picture-perfect town of Victory, a community built and funded by the company Jack works for. Alice soon becomes fixated on the nature of Jack’s work on the top-secret Victory Project, with her discoveries causing tension in the town. Despite being warned against questioning the community’s idyllic life, Alice seeks to uncover the true nature of her “utopia.”
Check out the trailer for ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
Florence Pugh (“Midsommar”) plays the lead role of Alice opposite Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”) as Jack. The cast also includes Chris Pine (“Star Trek”), Gemma Chan (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Nick Kroll (“Big Mouth”), and director Olivia Wilde (“House”).
Despite behind-the-scenes controversy fueling anticipation for “Don’t Worry Darling,” the movie debuted at the Venice Film Festival to mostly negative reviews. As of September 23, “Don’t Worry Darling” has a low “36%” score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie may still be worth a watch for fans of the lead actors, Wilde’s directorial style, and psychological thrillers in general.
How to watch ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
“Don’t Worry Darling” is currently only available to watch in theaters. The movie debuted on the big screen on September 23. You can buy tickets to see it in local and national theater chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark.
Check out where “Don’t Worry Darling” is playing near you on Fandango.
When will ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ be available to stream?
“Don’t Worry Darling” has yet to receive an official streaming release date. However, as a Warner Bros. film, it’s expected to hit HBO Max once its exclusive theatrical window is over. Although the date isn’t guaranteed, “Don’t Worry Darling” could stream on HBO Max as early as November 7.
Warner Bros. has the option to add new movies to HBO Max’s library as soon as 45 days after they premiere in theaters. However, this policy is only used on a case-by-case basis.
For instance, “Elvis,” the most recent Warner Bros. movie released on HBO Max after playing in theaters, did not follow the 45-day release strategy. Instead, “Elvis” took 70 days to hit HBO Max. If “Don’t Worry Darling” follows this strategy, it may not arrive on HBO Max until December 2.
However, “Elvis” did become available to buy from digital retailers several weeks before hitting HBO Max, suggesting “Don’t Worry Darling” could do the same. Since “Elvis” hit video-on-demand 46 days after its theatrical premiere, “Don’t Worry Darling” could be available to rent or buy online from platforms like Amazon, Vudu, and Apple TV starting November 8.
Is ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ based on a book?
“Don’t Worry Darling” is not based on a book, but rather a spec script originally written by Shane and Carey Van Dyke. The script was then rewritten for the official screenplay by Katie Silberman, who also co-wrote Wilde’s “Booksmart.”
Though not directly based on any pre-existing stories, early reviews for “Don’t Worry Darling” have compared it to hit psychological dramas and thrillers like “The Stepford Wives,” “The Truman Show,” and “Black Mirror.”