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Most films about abuse focus on the physical kind: on the women and children (and occasionally men) who are beaten and bruised by partners or parents. But there’s more to abuse than just the kind that’s easy to see—and the drama Alice, Darling depicts one woman’s struggle with her partner’s constant emotional abuse.
Alice, Darling escapes the city for a life-changing week with Alice (Anna Kendrick) and her two best friends. Lately, things have changed for Alice, and her friends have noticed that she’s become distant and distracted. They figure that a week together at the lake will be the perfect way to relax and reconnect. But the only way that Alice can get away with her friends is to lie to her controlling boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick). And while the days away help Alice return to her old self, she worries about what will happen if Simon finds out.
As the women spend this time together, Alice remains anxious and afraid, and her trauma responses show themselves in a variety of ways—both psychological and physical. Anna Kendrick may be best known for her comedic roles, but she gives a strong performance here as this damaged, beaten down young woman who’s transformed herself to meet Simon’s every demand. She her hair and makeup are always up to his standards. She eats what he thinks she should eat. She’s constantly checking in when they’re apart. She distances herself from her lifelong friends because he refuses to share her attention. And she lives her life in a constant state of fear, worried that she might accidentally say or do the wrong thing.
While the story offers a moving look at the trauma suffered by victims of emotional abuse, though, it seems to hold back—and parts of the story feel incomplete and unbalanced. Simon’s abusive behavior is pretty obvious—as is Alice’s pain. But it’s a simplified depiction of the true horrors of emotional abuse and the long-term damage that victims all too often suffer. The resolution feels a little too easy—but it does go a long way in shining a light on a form of abuse that’s too often overlooked.
Thanks to a solid lead performance by a talented actress, Alice, Darling is a tense and eye-opening drama. Though it could have taken the character’s story a little farther, it still offers a new perspective on abuse and control.
Alice, Darling arrives in theaters nationwide on January 20, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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