Did Alice Escape in Don’t Worry Darling? The Mind-Bending Finale Explained

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After arriving on Netflix UK, the film “Don’t Worry Darle” by Olivia Wilde has left viewers puzzled due to its intricate plotline and thrilling ending.

In 2022, when it was initially released, the highly anticipated film with a stellar cast immediately sparked a lot of conversation and buzz, making it one of the most notable movies of the year.

Featuring performers such as Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine, this suspenseful film certainly doesn’t shy away from delivering unexpected plot developments and curveballs.

In the mid-century U.S. community known as Victory, Alice Chambers (Pugh) and her husband Jack (Styles) appear to be living an idyllic lifestyle together.

But things start to unravel when Alice discovers that everything isn’t quite what it seems.

As she delves deeper into her investigation, events become progressively more unexpected, culminating in a shocking revelation towards the end – for those who’ve watched the movie and are left slightly perplexed, feel free to continue reading for an explanation of the twist-filled conclusion in Don’t Worry Darling.

Don’t Worry Darling ending explained

Alice initially suspects that there may be a hidden darkness in Victory, as Margaret (KiKi Layne) becomes increasingly concerned and urgently warns the town’s inhabitants about some ominous occurrences.

At first, she seems uninterested or skeptical, but certain events cause her to seriously ponder and doubt, with little consideration given to her worries by those around her adding to her confusion.

On a particular day, she observes an unusual airplane accident, an event that triggers her curiosity and eventually leads her to explore the premises of the Victory Project, a place where her spouse and all the male employees of Victory are based.

As she delves into her investigation, it abruptly ends when she unexpectedly faints, experiencing bizarre visions involving an enigmatic eye and odd dance routines reminiscent of Busby Berkely. Upon regaining consciousness, she finds herself back home with no memory of how she got there.

Later on, in an incredibly disturbing event, she observes Margaret apparently self-inflict a deep throat wound. Despite her firm conviction that she saw this incident clearly, she keeps hearing from Jack and others that Margaret merely stumbled and is receiving care in the hospital.

In the end, Alice attempts to persuade her close companion, Bunny (Wilde), that there’s a significant problem, yet her friend remains unconvinced and dismisses her worries quite decisively.

In the meantime, the situation becomes more complex as Jack gets increasingly near to Chris Pine’s character, Frank, who founded Victory. This proximity eventually results in Jack getting promoted and receiving an invite to a dinner party hosted by Frank.

During the meal, tensions reach a boiling point. In private, Frank appears to validate Alice’s doubts, but later at the dinner table, he denies everything, causing Alice to explode with anger and launch an outburst. This escalates the situation so much that all the other guests decide to depart.

In private with Jack, Alice appears to persuade her spouse to flee with her. However, upon reaching their vehicle, it becomes clear that she has been deceived, and men dressed in red suits appear to seize her, intending to subject her to an unspecified operation.

Later on, she appears back at home, apparently overlooking her numerous doubts. However, this sense of normalcy doesn’t persist for very long.

When Jack plays a record, it appears as if Alice is triggered by a memory from her past, and we’re shown a sequence that takes place in the present day. It’s revealed later on that Alice used to be a burnt-out surgeon, while Jack was jobless and decided to apply for a spot at Victory, where they could embrace an old-fashioned ’50s way of life.

To experience these recurring visions, they were forced to connect themselves to a device – against Alice’s wishes – which was where the visions that frequently reappear to Alice in fleeting moments originated. In this process, Alice lost memories of her previous life, and Jack assumed a new identity as a British breadwinner; he had been an American in his real life.

It appears that Victory is merely a simulated environment, and although Alice remains connected to the same device, Jack detaches himself daily to participate in the physical world where they both earn enough money for their needs.

Alice challenges Jack on the matter at hand, and he acknowledges her accuracy, yet maintains that he chose Victory as a means to alleviate her distress stemming from her excessive workload.

Alice mentioned that it could have been true, but she maintained her freedom, leading to a confrontation between them. In the end, Alice ended up attacking and fatally wounding her husband.

She steps out of the house, stained with blood, whereupon she encounters Bunny who discloses an astounding truth: she’d been aware of Victory’s true identity the whole time, and willingly chose to collaborate, partially due to her emotional turmoil following the loss of her kids in the real world.

As a passionate cinephile, I eagerly implore Alice to hasten towards Headquarters, and in response to my plea, she sprints off – triggering an exhilarating high-speed chase involving Victory’s personnel, who are desperate to keep her within their grasp. Amidst the chaos, Frank’s wife Shelley (portrayed by Gemma Chan) takes a tragic turn and stabs him right there in the thick of the pandemonium.

At first, Alice skillfully manages to dodge the chasing vehicles, making three of them collide, but eventually, her own vehicle ceases functioning, compelling her to escape on foot towards Victory Project HQ.

As she arrives at headquarters, a group of men are hot on her heels. Just as she grabs the entrance door, there’s a flash of a familiar figure – Jack – in her mind, and the screen fades to black.

Despite the lack of clarity if Alice managed to escape, her final action suggests a struggle as she’s heard gasping for breath. The puzzle lies in whether she’s regaining consciousness in reality or has been apprehended instead.

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2025-04-06 15:34