The Big Picture

• Don't Worry Darling's ending reveals that Victory is a simulated reality, and Alice breaks free from it to return to her real life.
• Alice's real-world relationship with Jack is strained due to gender dynamics and resentment over her being the breadwinner.
• The film combines elements of The Stepford Wives and The Truman Show, but the twist and plotholes may be too predictable and rushed for some viewers.

After rumors of feuds, on-set affairs, spitting, and one of the most awkward red carpet lineups in history, Don’t Worry Darling didn't quite live up to the excitement of its real-life drama. The psychological thriller sees housewife Alice (Florence Pugh) unravel in her seemingly idyllic 1950s suburban life with her husband, Jack (Harry Styles). It was clear from watching the trailers that there was going to be some sort of twist, similar to the film that has clearly served up some inspiration for the movie, The Stepford Wives. It’s not the exact same twist, but it’s fairly similar. Combining these elements with The Truman Show, the ending is rife with plotholes, sped-up explanations, and a reveal that was obvious from the start of the film. If some of the twists and turns went over your head, then don’t worry, darling. Here’s an explanation of Don’t Worry Darling’s ending in all its girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep glory.

Is Victory Real?

The beginning of the end is when Alice is taken to receive extensive electric shock therapy after she has caused enough chaos to upset the dinner party, during which she confronts Frank (Chris Pine) and gets her ass handed to her by his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan). Alice begs Jack to run away with her and Jack agrees. But it’s all a trap to get Alice in the car where she can get dragged away by men resembling the guards from Squid Game sans PlayStation mask. We see Alice receive shock therapy, and we finally get all the answers we’ve been looking for.

We see real-world Alice as an overworked surgeon who lives with her boyfriend, Jack, aka incel Harry Styles, complete with a greasy cowlick and Edward Snowden glasses. Real-world Jack has lost his job, but Alice is happy to take on more shifts at the hospital to support him. When Alice arrives home, Jack, who seems to have been doing nothing all day other than being on his computer, expects Alice to prepare dinner despite her having just worked 30 hours. It's clear that Jack resents Alice for being the breadwinner, but also expects her to uphold the household chores — a non-existent sex life is also implied to add insult to injury. It now becomes clear that real-world Jack is done living in a grim, Girlboss world where the woman is who comes home after a long day.

Alice Gets Her Revenge

Alice reenters Victory in all her former glory after the EST, but something still isn't quite right as she immediately gets a flashback to her real life. Bunny (Olivia Wilde) is ecstatic to have her back and to nurse Alice’s memory back to full health. When Alice is preparing dinner for Jack, Jack sings the recurring song that triggers Alice’s memory of her real life, causing her to have a full-on breakdown that zaps her mind back to her real-world self. It’s then explained how Victory came to be. Real-world Jack (looking even more incel) goes through the process to be chosen for Victory after listening to Frank’s manifesto tapes. Sometime later, Jack goes to their apartment, which is bolted shut. He tends to Alice’s body, which is hooked up to a machine, with her eyes pulled open Clockwork Orange-style, confirming that Victory is all a simulation — as if it wasn’t obvious from the first trailer.

Back in Victory, now real Alice confronts Jack about entrapping her. Jack claims she wasn't happy, but she defends her job, her choices, and her free life. It’s then explained that when the Victory men go to “work,” they are actually rejoining the real world, so they can work to pay for the Victory simulation. A screaming match ensues where Pugh delivers some top acting. When Jack tries to strangle Alice (around her stomach?), Alice smashes a glass over Jack's head, killing him. Bunny discovers the bloody scene and Alice tells her the truth behind Victory. Bunny confesses that she knows and that she chose this life to be with her kids in the simulation, implying that they died in real life. Bunny encourages Alice to run — as Bunny has willingly stayed inside the simulation, knowing full well the truth of their situation — and leave Victory before they kill her. When Alice walks out onto the street with Jack’s blood smeared over her, all the wives’ suspicions seem to be confirmed, finally waking up to the reality of their existence and the betrayal of their husbands, including Shelley who stabs Frank, stating that it’s “my turn” now. Victory succumbs to the chaos it has always tried to avoid.

Alice Breaks Free From Victory

We then see a car chase between Alice and the Squid Game guards. Alice races to the Headquarters that we saw her go to earlier in the movie that inexplicably zapped her back to her bedroom without any memory of getting there. It’s clear that this is a way to… reset? Leave the game? Magically transport? Die? Who knows, because the script certainly doesn’t. Alice races to get the hell out of Victory, back to her real body. Alice causes the guards and Dr. Collins (Timothy Simons) to crash, and right before she leaves Victory, she reminisces about the genuine love she thought she had with Jack with a memory of them telling each other that they’ll always be together. Alice leaves the simulation right before the guards can get to her. The screen cuts to black, but we hear real-world Alice waking up, gasping for breath.

Don't Worry Darling is available to stream on Hulu and Max in the U.S.

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