The Aesthetic is the Hook
If you’re here, there’s a high probability it’s because someone in your house is a dedicated "Harrie" or a Florence Pugh stan. On a purely visual level, the movie is stunning. The mid-century modern architecture, the crisp desert lighting, and the wardrobe are all top-tier. It looks like a high-end perfume commercial but feels like a Twitter argument come to life.
The problem is that the script doesn't quite keep up with the cinematography. It sets up a fascinating "Stepford Wives" mystery in a town called Victory, where everything is too perfect to be true. For the first hour, the tension is palpable. You’re waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it finally does, the landing is a bit wobbly. Critics were right to call it muddled; it asks big questions about autonomy and power but answers them with a plot that has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.
The Styles and Pugh Problem
Florence Pugh is the reason this movie stays watchable. She is doing the heavy lifting in every single scene, selling the terror of a woman who realizes her reality is a simulation. If your teen is a fan of hers, you should check out our guide to Florence Pugh's Young Adult Roles to see how this fits into her larger filmography. She’s rarely bad in anything, and she isn’t bad here—the movie just doesn't give her character enough to do in the final act.
Then there’s Harry Styles. His performance was the subject of endless internet memes, and while he’s not the disaster some critics claimed, he’s clearly outmatched by Pugh. If you have a middle schooler begging to watch this just to see Harry, you might want to steer them toward our guide on Harry Styles Movies for Middle Schoolers instead. This film is much more intense and sexually graphic than his other work.
The Conversation You'll Actually Have
The "twist" in the movie is where things get gnarly. Without spoiling the specifics, it moves from a 1950s domestic drama into a sci-fi thriller about "alpha" culture and the ways men try to control women through technology. It’s a very modern story dressed up in vintage clothes.
If you do watch this with an older teen, the most interesting part isn't the plot—it's the discussion afterward. The movie is essentially a critique of a certain type of internet-driven radicalization. It’s about the desire to return to a "simpler time" that was actually quite restrictive. You’ll find yourself talking about:
- The ethics of "saving" someone who didn't ask to be saved.
- How the internet can be used to trap people in echo chambers.
- Why the 1950s aesthetic is so frequently used as a shorthand for control.
It’s a polarizing watch. You’ll either love the ambition or roll your eyes at the execution, but you won't be bored. Just be prepared for the fact that the ending might leave you feeling more frustrated than satisfied.
