Don't worry, Darling (5 Stars)

This is the first film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Each year a catalogue is published with descriptions of the films that will be shown at the Fantasy Film Festival. I don't bother reading it, I just flip through the pages and look at the pictures. Since I intend to go to all the films in the festival (apart from the ones that finish after midnight), I don't need to read the catalogue to make a choice. I want to be surprised by the films I watch.

Today was the first time that I regretted not reading the catalogue. After watching the first 15 minutes of "Don't worry, Darling" I was confused. I had no idea what was happening, and I didn't even know what genre it belonged to. It was even difficult to date the film. Judging by the small black and white televisions it looked like the early 1960's, but there were anachronisms. Things became clearer as the film progressed. I shan't give you any clues in this review. All I'll say in the film's favour is that there's a strong feminist message that develops later in the film.

I was happy to see that the cinema was sold out. The seats were full from the front row to the back. Maybe it was for the wrong reason. It looked like the film had attracted fans of Harry Styles. When his name was mentioned by the festival host there was loud cheering from the female members of the audience.

The film won the audience over. There was applause when the final credits rolled. It's one of the best films I've seen this year.