Alice, Darling [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray]

Director: Mary Nighy Mary Nighy

Overview

The drama, directed by Mary Nighy, is the tale of a woman coming to terms with the fact that her relationship is toxic and abusive. Trapped in her relationship, Alice does whatever she can to please Simon. When her friends invite her on a weekend retreat, she reluctantly goes. But to keep herself safe, she lies to Simon and tells him the trip is for work. As the weekend progresses, her friends take her phone away so she can stop being controlled by his relentless texts. This leads Alice to see her world for what it is and a future that is brighter.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/14/2023
UPC:	0031398339076
Original Release:	2022
Rating:	R
Source:	Lions Gate
Language:	English
Time:	1:30:00
Sales rank:	22,892

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Anna Kendrick	Alice,Alice
Kaniehtiio Horn	Tess,Tess
Charlie Carrick	Simon,Simon
Wunmi Mosaku	Sophie,Sophie
Mark Winnick	Marcus,Marcus,Marcus,Marcus
Daniel Stolfi	Officer,Officer
Carolyn Fe	Customer,Customer
Gordon Harper	Fawning Sycophant,Fawning Sycophant
Viviana Zarrillo	Store Owner,Store Owner
Mairi Babb	Volunteer #1,Volunteer #1
Susan Applewhaite	Volunteer #2,Volunteer #2
Ethan Mitchell	Hot Waiter,Hot Waiter
James M Jenkinson	Bar Patron,Bar Patron
Lindsay Leese	Store Clerk,Store Clerk
Toni Ellwand	Customer #2,Customer #2
Deborah Grover	Volunteer #3,Volunteer #3
Sara Bradeen	Volunteer #4,Volunteer #4
Farah Merani	Host,Host
Elena Khan	Staff,Staff
Owen Pallett	Composer,Composer

Technical Credits

Mary Nighy	Director,Director
Katie Bird Nolan	Producer,Producer
Christina Piovesan	Producer,Producer
Noah Segal	Producer,Producer
Lindsay Tapscott	Producer,Producer
Anna Kendrick	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Adrian Love	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Laurie May	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
James Lazarenko	Sound Mixer,Sound Mixer
Melissa Smith	Casting,Casting

Editorial Reviews

Anna Kendrick excels as the titular and troubled protagonist in Alice, Darling, a psychological drama that is marvelously put together, and touches on complicated relationships. Alanna Francis's free-flowing script combines with Mary Nighy's capable direction to produce an engaging film from the opening scene to the end credits. The few negatives are swallowed up by excellent performances by a cast that is small in number, but mighty in presence. Alice (Kendrick) finds herself conflicted with her friends, her boyfriend, and herself. She has put a lot of pressure on herself to find the right balance in her life. But instead of becoming happy, she becomes so frustrated that she literally pulls her hair out. She has moments of course. Her charming boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick), comes across as considerate and adoring. Her friends, Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn), take her out to socialize and invite her to get away from her stress. She often gets alone with her thoughts. But as she strives to be as perfect a person as she can, she falls short. Where does her despair come from? Why does she struggle so much? Is it an outward struggle, an inward one, or perhaps both? She decides to take her friends' offer to spend a week at a country cottage, but that means she has to lie to Simon. As a result, Sophie and Tess learn more about just how burdensome her relationship is, and that it may have crossed the line into abuse. The are no poor performances to find in this production. The cast is terrific, with Kendrick leaving no stone unturned in bringing her conflicted character to light. The audience becomes well aware of her character's traits and feels like it knows her rather well by film's end. This must be one of Kendrick's best performances. Carrick gives a tremendous performance as well. He makes his character likeable enough, though it's clear one cannot root for his character for long. The moments of tension are palpable, and there is plenty of analysis one can make about each of the characters, which means that the filmmakers did their job well. The story is extremely relatable, as it provides insight into the nature of second-guessing, destructive relationships, strained friendships, inner reflection, and the reality and consequences of human error, pressure, and devotion. So many themes are identifiable for viewers as they, or someone they know, recognize these issues which greatly impact their lives. This cinematic work provokes reflection, and it does it remarkably well. Anytime a film reaches into the world of realistic drama, it is only natural to try to look for things that don't fit. There are very few in this story, aside from questionable reactions during an inevitable confrontation. Still, the credibility of the characters on the whole quickly erase any small inconsistencies, and Alice, Darling, instead, makes audiences ponder what they would do if they were to find themselves in a similar situation, or to compare their own actions if they are already have. This drama provides an interesting and relatable story and does so thoughtfully, with a fantastic effort by the whole cast and crew.