Florence Pugh’s Controversial $87 Million Sci-Fi Drama Is Leaving Netflix

Three years after its release, Don’t Worry Darling seems to have evaporated from public consciousness. The movie inspired a heated bidding war and fueled several controversies that appeared to last for months. First, Shia LaBeouf was allegedly fired after production had begun; he was replaced by Harry Styles, who was reportedly dating director Olivia Wilde at the time. Then, Wilde seemingly butted heads with the film’s lead, Florence Pugh, and the two promoted the movie separately. None of these controversies translated into box office success, with the film underperforming commercially and earning mixed reviews. Don’t Worry Darling is currently available on Netflix, but not for too long. So, if you haven’t yet experienced the film that inspired one of the biggest pop-culture stories of 2022, now’s the time to do so.

Released in 2022 amid reports of an on-set feud between Wilde and Pugh, the film earned nearly $90 million worldwide against a budget that has been reported to be as high as $35 million. Don’t Worry Darling was heavily inspired by The Stepford Wives, and followed a community of newlyweds in the desert, where a mysterious man’s influence dictates how everyone behaves. Along with Pugh and Styles, who played the main couple, the movie also featured Wilde and Chris Pine. It opened to mixed reviews, and is now sitting at a 38% score on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The website’s consensus reads, “Despite an intriguing array of talent on either side of the camera, Don’t Worry Darling is a mostly muddled rehash of overly familiar themes.”

Florence Pugh Is on a Hot Streak

Pugh redeemed herself with roles in Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer, John Crowley‘s We Live in Time, Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Two, and with the well-reviewed Marvel movie Thunderbolts*. She’s set to reprise her role as Princess Irulan in the upcoming Dune: Part Three. Styles, however, took the brunt of the criticism. He hasn’t appeared in a movie since My Policeman, which was released in the same year as Don’t Worry Darling. Wilde is currently working on her third film, The Invite, a comedy starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, and herself.

You have until January 1 to watch Don’t Worry Darling on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.