Alice, Darling – Movie Review (5/5)

ALICE, DARLING is a psychological thriller starring Anna Kendrick. Her performance alone makes for a movie worth watching, but really, everyone delivers brilliant performances. It’s not an easy watch, but it is important. Read our full Alice, Darling movie review here!

ALICE, DARLING is a psychological thriller starring Anna Kendrick in the title role. However, everyone really does deliver perfect performances in every single role. This movie definitely isn’t an easy or comfortable story to watch, but it is extremely important. At times, it’s like watching an accident; You don’t want to watch, but you can’t stop either.

Also, the story told here is a perfect example of why the old “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”-saying is so harmful. Whether you’re experiencing bullying in a school or work setting or psychological abuse from a partner, it most certainly does hurt. And often, people in these situations need help to get away from the pain.

Continue reading our Alice, Darling movie review below. Find the movie nationwide in AMC theaters from January 20, 2023.

The power of love

The title character, Alice, is a young woman who has slowly but surely become trapped in a very unhealthy and abusive relationship. Her boyfriend is portrayed in an insanely strong manner by Charlie Carrick. I always wonder how strange it must feel to take on such a role, but as it’s also important, it needs to be done right and Charlie Carrick nails it!

So do the two actors portraying the lifelong friends of Alice. When they realize just how bad off Alice is, they fight for and with her. Kaniehtiio Horn (Possessor as Tiio Horn) plays Tess, who is all about tough love. Meanwhile, the amazing Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country, His House, Loki) plays Sophie, who always tries to keep everyone happy.

Sophie is pure love and has so much passion for getting things to work. Wunmi Mosaku is perfectly cast in this role – though to be honest, I have never seen her be anything but perfect in any role. This woman has quickly become one of my favorite actors!

Another perfectly cast character is, of course, Anna Kendrick as Alice.

Anna Kendrick is better than ever!

Watching Anna Kendrick in Alice, Darling is heartbreaking, but will probably also feel familiar to far too many. Either because you recognize what Alice (Anna Kendrick) is living through or because you know someone who has been in an abusive relationship of this kind.

Not that kind where physical violence keeps you there, but where your mind and will has been broken.

I love when Anna Kendrick does comedy as much as anyone. I mean, I really do love her comedic timing and her strong delivery which is usually dripping with satire or irony. We’ve also seen this in horror comedies like Life After Beth and The Voices. However, people seem to forget that Anna Kendrick also does much more than sing or make people laugh.

For one, she was nominated for an Academy Award and many other awards, more than a decade ago – for Up in the Air (2009).

In Alice, Darling it’s up to Anna Kendrick to truly pull it all together. She does so by delivering a soul-wrenching performance as Alice. A young woman so broken that her own voice has been silenced and taken over by the brutal control of her boyfriend’s insistent comments and commands.

Do not miss out on Alice, Darling

Mary Nighy is the director of Alice, Darling which is her feature film debut. She’s been directing short films and episodes of TV series (such as Industry) since 2008, so she’s hardly new to the role of director. The screenplay was written by Alanna Francis and had Mark Van de Ven with a story editor credit. The two also made the screenplay for The Rest of Us (2019).

Please, make sure you don’t miss out on Alice, Darling. This is real horror and dread for so many people (men and women) all over the world. Perhaps watching a movie like this will help you recognize this behavior and be the step to help someone who needs it. Maybe a friend or even yourself?!

With a runtime of 90 minutes, the story doesn’t linger on anything longer than what’s necessary, but it also doesn’t rush anything. It’s a slow burn but also a roaring fire waiting just around the corner. And you’ll probably recognize this early on!

ALICE, DARLING opened in Los Angeles on December 30, 2022, and nationwide on January 20, 2023, exclusively in AMC Theaters.

Details

Director: Mary Nighy
Writer: Alanna Francis
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Charlie Carrick and Wunmi Mosaku