Alumna Katie Silberman ’12 is the writer and producer of Don’t Worry Darling, the new film directed by Olivia Wilde that has been making waves since its premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.
The film follows couple Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) who are living in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia. While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury, and debauchery of their community. But when cracks in Alice’s idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, she can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. The film also features performances by director Olivia Wilde, KiKi Layne, and Gemma Chan.
Don’t Worry Darling marks the second collaboration between Silberman and Wilde. Previously, Silberman served as the writer and producer of Wilde’s directorial debut, Booksmart. The coming-of-age comedy, which starred Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, was the headliner of the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival.
“I’m so lucky I’ve gotten to work with [Wilde] twice. Hopefully, I get to work with her a million more times,” Silberman said in an interview with Hollywood Insider. She also discussed her approach to writing the film, which is a psychological thriller of sorts: “It’s similar to comedy in that it’s all about tension and when you choose to release it. It’s about pulling the rug out from everybody that’s watching and following a character that you really love and care about.”
Don’t Worry Darling is in cinemas and available to stream online now.
