Alice, Darling takes a deep look at the effects of emotional abuse, hopefully bringing an important topic to light for those who need to see it.
Alice, Darling focuses heavily on the important topic of abusive relationships. It should be noted that it can be extremely triggering for those who have gone through something like this in their lives. The movie itself is fine, although it feels like it never really hits a decent climax before just sort of ending. Clocking it at just under an hour and a half, there was room to add a little bit more and make this film something special. Instead, it falls quite flat.
Anna Kendrick stars as Alice who is in a controlling relationship to the point where she doesn’t even want to tell her boyfriend that she is going to dinner with her friends, let alone going away with them for a birthday celebration. She is constantly walking on eggshells and while her friends sense something is wrong, there is not much that they can do.
When they finally get away from it all, confessions are made. Things get extremely intense when Alice’s boyfriend, Simon, crashes the trip after not hearing from Alice for a few days. Unfortunately, the climax of the situation is too short to make viewers feel satisfied with the overall plot, however it will leave a lasting impression as it packs a powerful punch.
The biggest issue with Alice, Darling is that while it is an important topic that is discussed, the movie itself becomes tedious and boring at times. It switches back and forth between intense and suspenseful scenes and slow ones. There are lots of great moments, powerful ones even (especially towards the end), however by the time it ends you will either be left wanting more or feeling like you wasted an hour and a half of your time.
At the end of the movie there is a scene with Anna Kendrick that seems as if it is meant to be a symbolic rebirth or sorts, and while it is a beautiful moment, it doesn’t give viewers the closure they need after the heavy subject that was just discussed the entire movie.
Overall Thoughts
Alice, Darling is going to be triggering for anyone who has been in an abuse relationship before — even emotionally abuse ones. The way that Alice hides her true self so that she can keep Simon happy, or at least not set him off, is disturbing to see play out on the screen. Unfortunately there are a lot of people in real life situations like this (not just women) and so to shine a light on these issues, while also showing what it means to have your friends protect you and have your back, is important. But that doesn’t mean that the movie is all that good.
Alice, Darling just feels like it never fully gets where it is going. The climax is very short lived and then the movie just sort of… ends. Anna Kendrick is great in the role, and does everything she can to make this movie worth watching. It isn’t bad, per se, but it is certainly not worth paying to watch it in theaters. Instead, grab a few of your girlfriends when it hits streaming and yell at the screen together while quietly noting all the red flags to keep an eye out for.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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About Alice, Darling
Pushed to the breaking point by Simon, her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Alice rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective while on vacation with two close girlfriends. However, Simon’s vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering, and once unleashed, it tests her strength, her courage, and the bonds of deep-rooted friendships.
Alice, Darling hits theaters January 20th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.